Tag: Scottish Government

First Minister warns against complacency

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Thursday 6 August):

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I want to start with the usual update on the Covid-19 statistics for Scotland.

An additional 67 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That is 1.2% of the people who were newly tested yesterday, and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,847.

Just as point of clarity, today’s 67 cases is actually a net increase of 66, as one of yesterday’s cases has since been denotified.

A full health board breakdown will be available later, as usual, but the provisional information I have is that 39 of the 67 cases are in the Grampian health board area. It is not yet clear how many are connected to the ongoing outbreak in Aberdeen and I will say a bit more about that outbreak shortly.

A further 17 are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and we are examining these very carefully to see if there are any patterns – there was a relatively large number in Glasgow yesterday – to see if there is any cause for concern. 

A total of 270 patients are currently in hospital who have been confirmed as having the virus. That is an increase of 3 since yesterday.

A total of 4 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed Covid-19. That is an increase of 1 since yesterday.

I am glad to say that yet again during the last 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test in the previous 28 days as having Covid-19.  The total number of deaths, under this particular measure, therefore remains 2,491.

However the total number of deaths is still a reminder of the awful impact of this virus. I want to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

We will also today publish updated information about the prevalence of the virus in Scotland.

Our modelling suggests that the R number – the average number of people infected by one other infectious person – is between 0.6 and 1.  That is a slight increase on the last estimate, which was 0.6 and 0.9.  However, as I’ve said before, the R number becomes a less reliable indicator when the prevalence of the virus remains very low. 

The modelling also shows that the number of people in Scotland with the virus has continued to fall. Our central estimate for last week is that 275 people in Scotland were infectious.

These figures show – once again – the sustained progress that we’ve made, over the past few months. And I want to thank everybody who has contributed to that. 

I particularly want to thank our health and care workers – who continue to do an incredible job.

However, I want to warn again against any complacency.

We have seen an increase in cases in recent days that may not yet be reflected in this modelling – many of these cases, but not all, are linked to outbreaks such as the one in Aberdeen and the one in Inverclyde last week. But it’s important to say that not all of these cases are linked to outbreaks, so we really must be on our guard and recognise what these figures are telling us, which is that this virus is still very much out there and circulating in Scotland. 

I now want to provide an update on the situation in Aberdeen, and you will appreciate that this is an active outbreak that is being managed and this information will be changing regularly at the moment. 

I can confirm that – as of now – a total of 79 cases have been confirmed as associated with that cluster.  That is an increase of 25 on the position reported yesterday. A further 30 cases are under investigation as possibly linked to the outbreak. And a total of 233 close contacts have already been identified, although we expect that number to rise over the course of today.

As I said yesterday, many of those positive cases and contacts have been linked to a number of licensed premises, in Aberdeen.  And a list of those places is now available on the Scottish Government’s website.

To be clear, it’s not that one particular person in this cluster has visited all these premises.  It is that someone who has tested positive has been in each location, but it will be different people in each of these locations.

Now, we’ve been asked why members of the public who have visited these premises have not all been contact traced.  The answer is that they may not have been there at the same time as a person who has tested positive – or they might not have come within 2 metres of them for the requisite period.  Contact Tracers are professionals, they are highly trained experts at what they do and they assess who should be traced.

However, if you have been to any of these premises, even if Test and Protect hasn’t been in touch with you, we are still asking you to be extra vigilant for symptoms – and to follow the FACTS at all times.

And if you are contacted by Test and Protect in Aberdeen, please comply with their advice. In fact, if you are contacted by Test and Protect anywhere in Scotland, I appeal to you to please comply fully with their advice, particularly, in relation to self-isolation. If they advise you are a close contact and that you must self isolate for 14 days it is absolutely essential that you do that and for the full 14 days.

The further growth of this cluster which I’ve reported today –  and I expect to be standing here tomorrow reporting a growth beyond the numbers today – is a reminder of how easily this virus can spread.  It also underlines why we needed to take decisive action, to keep it under control.

Today is – of course – the first full day that the restrictions in Aberdeen have been in place.  So I want take this opportunity to set out – again – what the restrictions are.  However, I should say that guidance – on all of this – is available on the Scottish Government’s website. 

Firstly, we are advising people in Aberdeen not to travel more than 5 miles for leisure or recreational purposes.  That does not apply, however, if you’re travelling for work, education or medical treatment. 

One of the questions we’ve been asked about is holidays.  And our advice to people in Aberdeen is that you should not be going on holiday right now – either to other parts of Scotland, or other parts of the UK.  And as those of you who watch these briefings regularly will know, we advise against overseas holidays in general at the moment for people right across Scotland.

We’re also advising people outside of Aberdeen, not to travel to the city for leisure purposes – or to visit friends and family. 

Some people in Aberdeenshire have asked if they can travel into the city for work.  The answer is yes, you can – but please follow all guidance. But you should not be travelling into Aberdeen from Aberdeenshire for leisure or recreational purposes or to visit family.

If you are currently visiting Aberdeen, you can stay – but again, please follow all of the guidance while you are there.  And take extra care when you return home.

Secondly, we are advising that people in Aberdeen should not go into each other’s houses.  Extended household groups are not included in that – but the restriction applies to everyone else. 

There are also new restrictions on indoor visits to hospitals in Aberdeen – with only essential visits permitted. And care home visiting remains restricted to outdoor visits only, in line with the current guidance. 

Finally, we have put in place regulations, which require all indoor and outdoor hospitality in the city to close. So all bars, restaurants, cafes, and pubs must now be closed. They were required to close by 5pm yesterday.

Takeaway services in Aberdeen can continue.  And hotel restaurants can continue to provide food for residents.  But hotel bars must also close. 

Now, everything I’ve seen – so far – suggests that businesses are complying the regulations.  And I want thank all of them, for their help and cooperation.

In fact, I want to thank everyone in Aberdeen for being so understand of why this action is necessary and for sticking to the new guidance.  I know how tough that will be, it’s a blow to the city and all of us regret that we’ve had to take this decision.

But, I believe people do know why it is necessary. 

There are just too many uncertainties about this outbreak, right now.  So we were not able to be confident that we could keep it under control without these additional measures.

Allowing this virus to run free is not an option – at any time, in my view, given how dangerous it is – but particularly as we prepare for the reopening of schools from next week.

We have therefore taken a precautionary approach. For the moment, it means that one part of the country has had to go into reverse. But ultimately, we hope it will allow all of Scotland to continue the progress that we’ve achieved over these past months. 

But of course, it’s not just people in Aberdeen who have a part to play here.  All of us must be on our guard – now more than ever.

The further we get from lockdown, the more opportunities there are for the virus to spread. As i said before – when we locked ourselves down we locked it down too, so when we let ourselves out, we let it out as well. So as we come out of lockdown we all need to be extra careful – in everything that we do.

We – all of us – are the first line of defence against this virus. But we are only as strong as our weakest link.

Every time one us forgets to follow the advice, we risk letting the virus slip through our defence.

And as soon as that happens, we are fire fighting as we see in Aberdeen right now. Test and Protect is doing a fantastic job in Aberdeen but we all have a responsibility to ensure those fires don’t start in the first place.

So we must all recognise our individual responsibility to the overall wellbeing of the country.

Any time we fail to abide by the health guidance, we give Covid-19 an opportunity to come back.  And as we see from Aberdeen – this virus will take any opportunity it can get. One of the things we know about Covid-19 is that it is infectious. 

That’s why it’s so vital to follow the 5 rules golden rules of the FACTS campaign. 

  • F – you must wear them in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
  • A – Avoid crowded places.
  • C – Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
  • T – Two metre distancing remains the rule.
  • and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.

By complying with these rules we can continue to play our part in suppressing this virus.  We are also giving Test and Protect the best chance to deal with the outbreaks when they do occur, as they inevitably will on some occasions and of course we are protecting our front line health and social care staff as well.

My very strong encouragement and my plea to everyone is to please follow all of these rules. 

Setback as Aberdeen shuts down

Changes follow new COVID-19 cases identified in the community.

Following an increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Aberdeen, local restrictions on travel, indoor gatherings between households and the closure of indoor and outdoor hospitality will be introduced in the Aberdeen City local authority area.

Taking effect from 5pm on Wednesday 5 August, bars, restaurants, cafes and pubs were required by law to close. Hotel restaurants can remain open to provide food for existing guests, and takeaway services can continue.

People in Aberdeen City are asked not to meet other households indoors or travel more than five miles for leisure or recreational purposes.

People can continue to travel for work, or education purposes. Visiting in hospitals and care homes will return to essential visits only.

The restrictions come as NHS Grampian have reported that as of 9am yesterday there are now 54 positive cases of COVID-19 in the cluster associated with the Hawthorn Bar in Aberdeen. A total of 191 close contacts have been traced through Test & Protect.

More than 20 licensed premises have now been identified as being linked to people who have subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 and the outbreak is linked to the night time economy.

This morning, the First Minister chaired a meeting of SGORR (the Scottish Government’s resilience committee) with Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland to consider the response to the situation. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “These decisions have not been taken lightly. The fact that the outbreak is no longer simply associated with one location, combined with the accelerating increase in cases means we cannot rule out community transmission now being the case in Aberdeen.

“We are at a stage of this pandemic where extreme caution is still necessary. Acting now gives us the time and the space to protect the ability of our young people to return to full time education.

“I would ask people who attended any of the locations named to be extra vigilant, to follow all guidance and to isolate and book a test if they have any symptoms. 

“And I want to emphasise, that getting a test – and even getting a negative result – is not a substitute for self-isolating. So if you have symptoms, or if you are contacted by our Test and Protect team and told to do so, you will need to self-isolate.”

Dr Emmanuel Okpo, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Grampian, said: “I know people in the city will be concerned by this news. I want to stress that our health protection and Test & Protect teams are working extremely hard to speak to all the detected cases and identify their close contacts.

“We are also working closely with our local partners and are grateful for their support. My message to everyone is one of vigilance and if you are suffering from symptoms of COVID-19, however mild, please arrange a test.”

Councillor Jenny Laing, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council, said: “It is unfortunate that just as we were returning to a degree normality this outbreak has happened, but the safety of our citizens remains our first priority. 

“We must continue to adhere to the Scottish Government’s guidance to ensure the safety of everyone. Aberdeen City Council will continue to work in partnership with Scottish Government, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 in the city and surrounding areas.” 

Councillor Douglas Lumsden, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council, said: “It is essential that we continue to adhere to the Scottish Government’s guidance in order that we can control the coronavirus as best we can. 

“It will be challenging for many as we were beginning to enjoy the easing of the lockdown however public safety continues to be paramount. We appreciate the enormous efforts made by everyone to adhere to the lockdown measures previously in place and would remind them that together we can get through this.”

The Scottish Government is also advising people not to travel to Aberdeen while the restrictions are in place.

If people are already in Aberdeen visiting family or on holiday then they do not need to leave, but are asked to follow all the guidance and take extra care when returning home.

The current restrictions will be reviewed every seven days in discussion with local partners. The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.

For more information visit: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-measures/

Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:

  • F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis)
  • A – Avoid crowded places.
  • C – Clean your hands frequently, using water & soap whenever possible.
  • T – Two metres – observe physical distancing.
  • S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

FM: volunteers wanted for early warning modelling trials

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh yesterday (Tuesday 4 August):

I’m going to turn in a moment to the usual statistical update about COVID, but before I do that I want to say a special word to all young people across the country who are receiving their SQA results today.

It’s a long time, a very long time, since I got my results, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. It is a really big moment in a young person’s life so I hope you got what you were hoping for, but if you didn’t it is really important to remember that there are lots of options open to you, not least, in the immediate sense, the option to appeal.

And whatever your results are, you should all be incredibly proud of the way you have coped with the challenges of the past few months.

At a moment’s notice you had to adapt to new forms of learning. Your contact with friends and family was restricted. Many of you have missed out on a proper end to your final year. You didn’t get to sit exams. And of course you are now having to think about your future at a time of real economic uncertainty.

All of that has been really tough and we don’t underestimate how tough it has been. And I know that, for some of you, there will be difficult decisions that lie ahead.

Later on in my remarks I am going to say a bit more about where you can get some advice and support if you need it and the Deputy First Minister will also say a bit more about the process of producing your results this year.

But the main thing I want to say at the outset is that you all deserve enormous credit for your patience, for the sacrifices you’ve made and for all the hard work you’ve put in. So well done to all of you.

Now, as usual, I’ll give the update on today’s COVID figures. An additional 23 positive cases were confirmed yesterday which represents 0.9% of the people who were newly tested yesterday and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland now to 18,717.

A full health board breakdown will be available later, as usual, but the provisional information I have is that 15 of the 23 cases are in the Grampian health board area. It is not yet clear how many are connected to the ongoing outbreak in Aberdeen and I will say a bit more about that outbreak shortly.

I can also report that a total of 270 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed COVID which is 5 more than yesterday.

And a total of 4 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed COVID-19 which is 1 more than yesterday.

Finally, I am very pleased to say that, yet again during the past 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test in the past 28 days as having COVID.  The total number of deaths under that measurement remains at 2,491.

We are of course reporting fewer deaths on a daily basis now, but the total reminds us of the impact this virus has had on too many families across the country so again I want to extend my thoughts to everyone who has lost a loved one.

And as always, let me say a big thank you to everyone working hard to help us keep COVID under control and also to deal with its many consequences.

There are a few items I want to briefly touch on today before I hand over to the Deputy First Minister. 

Firstly, I want to provide a further update on that cluster of cases in Aberdeen which is linked to the Hawthorn Bar in the city. I can confirm that, as of now, 27 positive cases have been identified as part of the cluster though, let me be clear, I would expect that number to rise.

I can also confirm that, so far, 120 contacts have been traced through the Test and Protect system.

The Incident Management Team, which is led by NHS Grampian, will meet again this afternoon and they continue to take all necessary steps to try to minimise the risk of further transmission.  And I am extremely grateful to them for their considerable efforts.

Investigations of course are ongoing and we will provide more details as and when they become available.

However, this particular cluster is another reminder that this virus is still out there and has not gone away. It remains extremely infectious and, of course, it remains extremely dangerous and all of us have a part to play in denying it the opportunity to spread.

I talked yesterday about the importance of our Test and Protect system in helping us to contain these kinds of incidents so I think it is worth me reminding you of one of the key elements of that system.

If you are contacted by a Test and Protect team and advised that you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID you must self-isolate for 14 days. That should be seen as non-negotiable. The team might ask you, or arrange for you, to take a test. If they don’t do that you should only book a test yourself if you have symptoms.

If you are a close contact of an identified case and you do get tested, and this bit is really important for me to convey very clearly to you, if you do get tested you must self-isolate for 14 days even if you test negative.

And that’s because, given what we know about the incubation of this virus, it is entirely possible that you have the virus in your system, but it hasn’t had time to develop so it doesn’t show up in the test. For example, on a Monday, you might test negative for the virus, but by the Tuesday you might have developed the virus without knowing it.

At that point, you might be infectious and yet it might not be until the Thursday or the Friday that you start to show any symptoms. In fact, you might never show any significant symptoms at all, but if you are not self-isolating, you could nevertheless still be spreading the virus.

That’s really tough to say to people that, even if you have tested negative for this virus, if you are a close contact you have to self-isolate for 14 days, but that is partly what makes this virus so difficult to deal with, but it is also why self-isolation is so important and so necessary.

And I want to give a special message to employers. Please don’t think that testing any of your staff who are deemed to be close contacts of a positive case is an alternative to them self-isolating. That is absolutely not the case and I must stress that. There are simply no shortcuts here when it comes to trying to contain the spread of this virus.

All of us need to comply with the requirements of Test and Protect otherwise it won’t work and that includes, and is possibly the most important element of this, self-isolation. If we do all comply we can help to contain these kinds of incidents when they do occur and we can ensure that, rather than going into reverse, we can continue our exit from lockdown.

That brings me to the second point I want to briefly touch on and that’s about how we are trying to track the course of the pandemic here in Scotland.

The daily statistics I share with you obviously provide us with really important information about the spread of the virus, but because of the time it takes COVID to incubate, some of these statistics only reflect what might have been happening in the community two or three weeks previously.

That’s one of the reasons why the lockdown restrictions are reviewed every three weeks because it gives us time to assess the impact of any changes that we make.

At this point, of course, as we come further out of lockdown, the risks are heightened and it becomes more important that we have early warning, as early as possible, of any new trends.

That’s why we are increasingly looking to use a form of modelling which helps to estimate changes in the epidemic and model and estimate those as early as possible before they come through the daily statistics that I report to you.

That modelling just now is carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and it involves using online surveys to gather information about people’s social behaviour.

The surveys are run every two weeks and they ask about a range of different topics from people’s contact with others to recent travel to their use of face masks, for example.

At the moment, very few people from Scotland are included in those surveys so the modelling is of more limited value to us in assessing a particular situation here. So that’s why we intend to establish a Scottish version of the survey.

It will feed into the other modelling work that’s already carried out and it will help to produce results which are more relevant and therefore more applicable to Scotland.

We are looking for 3,000 members of the public to take part. As a starting point we’ll be sending invitations to those who have previously been involved in our population surveys.

But we will also need volunteers over and above that so I would urge anyone who is interested to find out more on the Scottish Government’s Twitter feed. I will make sure there is information there later today.

By volunteering, you’ll be helping us to improve our understanding of the epidemic and you’ll be helping to ensure that we can identify and respond quickly to any changes that threaten the progress we’ve made.

Finally today, before I conclude, I want to return to the issue of the SQA results.

138,000 learners from across the country should by now have received their results and I’m sure that for many of you and for your families the build up to this day has been very tense and I really do hope that you got the exams results that you wanted.

But if you didn’t and you’re feeling disappointed right now, please bear in mind that this is just the beginning. There will be many more opportunities ahead and you do have plenty of options.

It’s also important to note that there is advice and support there for you if you need it.

For example, if you have a question about your results or if you want to appeal the results you got today you should contact your school, college or training provider. The SQA is this year running a free appeal service.

There’s also an SQA Candidate Advice Line and I’m about to read out the number for that.

You should call the advice line if you have questions about your certificate, for example, if you need help understanding it, or you think there’s something missing from it. That line is now open and the number is 0345 279 1000.

Alternatively, if you want advice or information about what comes next you can call Skills Development Scotland’s dedicated helpline. Again, I’ll read out that number shortly.

That helpline offers free, impartial advice for young people, parents and carers.  And it will help you to learn about your options for the future whether that’s staying on at school, going to college or university, taking on an apprenticeship or entering the world of work.

The number for the helpline is 0808 100 8000. And I would encourage you if you need a bit of advice to give it a call. Again you will find these numbers on the Scottish Government Twitter feed later.

All of you have faced huge challenges this year, challenges which previous generations like mine and the Deputy First Minister’s could never have imagined so we are determined to do everything we can to ensure you have the support and opportunities you need as you start to think about your future.

I will hand on to the Deputy First Minister, now but before I do I will end, as I usually do, by reminding you once again of the Facts advice.

Those are the five key things all of us should remember in everything we do:

  • Face coverings must be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
  • Two metre distancing remains the rule and
  • Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have symptoms.

It’s vital that all of us continue to follow these rules because if we don’t, we risk allowing the virus to take grip again and the consequences of that we know are very clear.

We only need to look at what’s happening elsewhere in the world to see that countries can go into reverse and restrictions can require to be re-imposed. We don’t want to have to do that here, but we will have no choice if the virus gets out of control.

And all of us have the power, the agency, and indeed the responsibility to minimise the chance of that happening and that is why it is vital that we follow and abide by these five rules.

So my thanks to everyone who is doing so. It is hugely appreciated.

First Minister plea on social distancing

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 3 August):

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I’ll start with the usual update on the Covid-19 statistics.

An additional 18 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That represents 0.7% of the people who were newly tested yesterday, and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,694.

A health board breakdown will be available as usual later on but my provisional information is that 11 of the 18 new cases are in the Grampian Health Board area – though I cannot yet say if some or all are linked to the outbreak in Aberdeen. 6 are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and 1 is in Lothian.

I can also report that a total of 265 patients are currently in hospital who have been confirmed as having the virus. That is the same as yesterday.

And a total of 3 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed Covid-19. That is also the same as yesterday.

Finally, I am very glad and relieved to say that yet again during the last 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test in the previous 28 days as having Covid-19.  The total number of deaths, under this particular measure, therefore remains 2,491.

Although we are now reporting fewer deaths on a daily basis, that total reminds us of the impact this virus has had on families across the country. I want to again extend my condolences to everyone who has suffered loss.  

And as always, I want to thank our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you continue to do.

There are three main points I want to cover today.

We have had – over the weekend as you may have seen in the media – a number of small outbreaks, of relatively low numbers across the country.  The most significant of these is the cluster that is currently being dealt with in Aberdeen.

I can confirm that, as of now, 13 positive cases have been identified as associated with this cluster – though that number may yet rise.

Each of the cases so far is linked to the Hawthorns Bar in Aberdeen.  And I want to thank that business for acting swiftly and for co-operating fully with the guidance and procedures to contain the cluster.

An incident management team – led by NHS Grampian – met over the weekend. It is working with the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland and local environmental health teams to trace contacts, inspect premises, and do everything possible to minimise onward transmission. I am very grateful for those efforts.  And we will, of course, provide more details as and when they become available.

We’ve seen a few of these clusters now – and unfortunately, it’s very likely that we’ll see more in the weeks ahead. 

This particular cluster in Aberdeen is, if I’m honest, exactly what I feared when we re-opened hospitality.  And it’s what I was talking about last week, when I urged people to think carefully about how often you need to go to a pub or a restaurant right now, and the care you take while there.

Of course, it is not just this incident in Aberdeen.   Across the country, and across social media, we’re seeing evidence of people – and it’s largely younger people – gathering together, with little or no physical distancing in place.

I’ve seen pictures on social media from this weekend that – not to put too fine a point on it – made me want to cry looking at them.

I know what a hard slog it is every single day right now to keep this virus under control.

That’s a hard slog by people here in the Scottish Government but even more so people working in test and protect and our local public health teams across the country. It is a hard slog by the many businesses doing the right things, and of course members of the public who continue to make very hard sacrifices right now.

But every time one person throws caution to the wind and flouts the rules, they put all of us at risk. And the reality is they put all of us at risk and they make the job of everybody working to try to control this virus that much harder.

So I know this year has been really difficult. The most difficult most of us can remember. I know people have missed socialising; and I know that as we exit lockdown – in a summer where we can’t really travel – things can get frustrating.

But I urge all of you to please follow the rules – not just for yourself, although it is for your health and wellbeing, but it’s also about your friends, members of your family and also about the good of the country and the economy overall. So we don’t have to put restrictions on hospitality back in place.

But be in no doubt, if we have to, we will – because we will have no choice.

The Test and Protect system is there to ensure that when these kinds of incidents do occur, they can be contained.  And all the evidence I have seen so far suggests that the system is working well.  But it is like fighting forest fires. It takes enormous efforts and enormous resource and it’s always a race against time.

So we all need to help. Test and Protect is at its most effective, when incidents like the one we are seeing in Aberdeen right now are kept to a minimum. And so all of us need to continue to reduce the risk of transmission – by denying the virus opportunities to spread.

So please I appeal to everybody be careful. Remember to physically distance, I know it’s really hard and I know it’s the easiest thing in the world to forget, but remember to keep that distance. Wash hands and surfaces, wear face coverings – and indeed, comply with all of the different elements of our FACTS campaign. 

Doing those things is how we will keep rates of the virus low.  And it’s also how we best support Test and Protect and local public health teams and give them the best chance of containing outbreaks – as and when they happen.

Of course, when we do have outbreaks of this kind, it’s also very important that we learn from them.  And that’s relevant to the second point I want to touch on.

The Scottish Government has today published new guidance for call and contact centres.  You’ll remember that – a couple of weeks ago – there was an outbreak linked to a call centre in Lanarkshire.

That centre was involved in essential activity. Throughout the pandemic, call and contact centres undertaking essential work, have been able to remain open. 

The staff at those centres have – among other things – enabled the work of our emergency services; they’ve helped to support businesses; they’ve kept the lights on and the internet working; and they’ve provided financial and emotional advice to those who need it most.   So I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in that incredibly important work.  

I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who are still waiting for their workplace to reopen.  Non-essential call and contact centre premises are due to remain closed until at least 14 September.  And we’re continuing to advise people to work from home, wherever possible.  I know that makes things really tough, and I really appreciate your patience – and the sacrifices you are making.

The guidance we’re publishing today will help to ensure that – now and in the future – contact and call centres can operate safely. It’s been produced in consultation with employers and trade unions.  And it takes account of the latest scientific evidence – as well as experiences, like the outbreak in Lanarkshire.

The guidance provides important advice on things like physical distancing, cleaning and hand hygiene.  And it should further reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, in the workplace.

The final issue I want to talk about today relates to the reopening of schools, next week.

We know that the move from nursery to primary school can be a big step for children.  For parents and carers it can also involve additional costs – for things like school uniforms, shoes, school bags, and books.

Last year, the Scottish Government established the School Age Payment, to help with those kinds of costs.  It’s part of the Best Start Grant.  And it provides eligible parents or carers with a one off payment of £250.

It’s aimed at people who currently receive certain benefits or tax credits.  And it will be available to parents or carers of a child born between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016.

It’s important to note that you do not need to take up a school place to get the money – those who are home schooling or have deferred their child’s start date can still apply.

So if you think you might be eligible, please go to mygov.scot/benefits, for more information.  Alternatively, you can call 0800 182 2222 and speak to an adviser. We will make sure those details are posted on the Scottish Government Twitter feed later today.

It’s also worth noting that if you’re eligible for the Best Start Grant, you might also be entitled to free school meals or a School Clothing Grant.  And you can apply for these, by contacting your local authority.

The basic point is that there is help there for you, if you need it.  And the School Age Payment is one example of that.

Last year, it benefitted more than 18,000 families.  And I hope that, this year – at a really tough time for many people – it provides even more households, with that little bit of extra support.

I will hand on to the Cabinet Secretary in a moment and then to the Chief Nursing Officer, but I want to end – as I usually do – by reminding you once again of Facts.

These are the five key things all of us must remember in everything we do:

  • Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
  • Two metre distancing remains the rule, and
  • Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.

Following this advice is actually more important now than ever. Every step out of lockdown we take, the more opportunities there are for the virus to spread. So we have to be extra careful and extra vigilant.

Every day, we see the evidence of what can happen, if this virus gets out of control. 

Around the world, across Europe, and in parts of England, we’re seeing significant flare-ups.  And in many places, restrictions are having to re-imposed. 

None of us want to see that here in Scotland, I certainly don’t. Incidents like the one in Aberdeen remind us of how fragile things are right now and it underlines why all of us have to stick to these rules. And it underlines why all of us need to continue to stick by the rules.  

By doing that, we can all continue to play our part, in suppressing this virus.  And we can ensure that – rather than having to go into reverse – we can continue to move in the right direction, out of lockdown.  

So my thanks to everybody for their cooperation and compliance.

And please, as I said on Friday, just pause and think about how you are behaving in your own lives and if you have let those standards slip then please use this opportunity to tighten up because lives really do depend on it and we have all got a part to play.

Emergency support for Scotland’s science centres

Scotland’s four science centres are being offered an extra £2 million in emergency funding to help weather the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The money is on top of annual funding of £2.67 million from the Scottish Government, and means they will be able to start to re-open in the autumn, with safeguards in place to protect visitors.

Glasgow Science Centre, Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh (above), Dundee Science Centre and Aberdeen Science Centre collectively attract around 700,000 visitors and engage with a total of 1.5 million people of all ages annually – within the centres and through outreach and community programmes – playing a vital role in supporting education practitioners, schools, families and communities in every area of Scotland.

The four sites support access to public science engagement as part of the Scottish Government’s STEM Education and Training Strategy by stimulating debate and discussion around science and promoting science-based careers across a wide range of audiences of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Since closing their doors in March, the centres – which employ around 400 staff – have continued to engage with school pupils of all ages, teachers, families and the wider public, including via video-based content.

Science Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Our science centres are a valuable national asset, and even though they are currently closed to visitors, they have continued to deliver STEM learning opportunities through the creative and innovative use of online learning.

“From daily online videos and weekly themed home-learning programmes to stay-at-home science and STEM care packages, they have been providing valuable resources to support parents, teachers and young people during the school closures.

“Science, technology, engineering and maths impact our everyday lives and this has never been more relevant than in the current global pandemic. The huge contributions of Scotland’s STEM-related research and industry have being highlighted nationally and internationally throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

“This extra money puts our science centres in a stronger position to continue to showcase Scottish research and industry excellence in STEM, inspiring our young people and supporting their learning, while helping Scotland realise its ambitions as a science and innovation nation.”

Call for further UK Government support to prevent homelessness

The UK government must reconsider its position on people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), says Scotland’s Housing Minister Kevin Stewart.

The move follows a letter from Minister for Immigration Compliance Chris Philp which again stated that there were no plans for the Home Office to suspend its approach to those with NRPF, despite the ongoing public health emergency.

More than £875,000 has been provided by the Scottish Government and local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that people with no access to financial support are kept safe and secure. The Scottish Government and its third sector partners have repeatedly called for the UK government to lift these restrictions during the pandemic to enable everyone in our society to be treated fairly and equitably.

Mr Stewart said: “The Scottish Government is determined for our most vulnerable citizens not to be abandoned at a time when they need our help the most.

“The economic impacts of the pandemic are pushing thousands of people further into poverty and harming their work opportunities. However, thanks to a rapid and coordinated response in Scotland, we have been able to accommodate people who would otherwise be facing destitution, so they can protect themselves and others during the COVID-19 crisis.

“As a result, many people restricted by the UK Government’s harmful approach, who were previously sleeping rough or in unsuitable night shelters, are now being supported in hotels and other self-contained accommodation.

“I am therefore appalled at the UK government’s refusal to do the right thing and immediately lift the restrictions on those who currently have no recourse to public funds for the duration of this public health crisis and would again call for them to act.

“Their unreasonable and heartless restriction also affects women and children fleeing domestic abuse who have to leave with little resources or belongings and non EEA nationals who lost their incomes and found themselves far from their families and homes as a result of the pandemic.”

Food for homeless and people at risk

Demand for food packs highlights impact of the pandemic.

Homeless people and others affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are to receive further support through the Scottish Government’s emergency funding for communities.

In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of funding to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic, including a £70 million Food Fund. More than £40 million extra funding has since been committed for food initiatives, increasing the total to £110 million.

Social enterprise Social Bite has been awarded an additional £48,500 for its COVID-19 response, with its funding since April now totalling £700,000. Its team have delivered 500,000 food packs and meals to people in need in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow since April.

Speaking following a visit to Social Bite’s central kitchen in Livingston, Ms Campbell said: “Like many community groups and charities, Social Bite’s team have worked hard making and delivering meals as well as offering a free takeaway service for those most at risk. I want to thank everyone who has supported people through this time.

“Sadly, the demand for such services highlights the terrible impact of the pandemic on people from all walks of life.

“We have provided flexibility through our £110 million funding to tackle food insecurity so people can access both cash and food-based support. This includes funding for free school meals over the summer holidays, food boxes for those who were shielding and support for people facing financial hardship. We have also more than doubled the Scottish Welfare Fund.

“Anyone worried about being able to access food should contact the National Helpline on 0800 111 4000.”

Josh Littlejohn, co-founder and CEO of Social Bite, said: “As soon as the pandemic hit, we saw that food poverty was going to be a major issue for our most vulnerable communities, so we re-purposed Social Bite’s entire infrastructure to provide free food for those who needed it.

“Thanks to support from the Scottish Government, the business community and the public, we were able to mobilise extremely quickly. Since the pandemic began, we have distributed more than 500,000 food packs. This funding will help us provide further support for homeless people and other vulnerable groups in our communities amid the acute challenges of COVID-19.”

The Communities Secretary announced the £350 million funding package on 18 March.

Local funding breakdowns are available via the Community Funding Mapping Hub.

Performing Arts Venues relief fund opens

Following yesterday’s announcement by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon of a £2.5m increase to the Scottish Government’s Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund, taking the total available through the fund to £12.5m, Creative Scotland has, today, published guidance on how to access this fund.

Allocation of this fund is as follows:

· £7.5m targeted funding for performing arts venues in Scotland currently in receipt of Regular Funding through Creative Scotland

· £5m open fund for application from Scotland based performing arts venues not currently in receipt of Regular Funding. This open fund has been developed with input from the Federation for Scottish Theatre and opens today, Thursday 30 July 2020.

The Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund will help performing arts venues which cannot yet reopen to their audiences due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government intends the fund to:

· Remove the threat of insolvency prior to the end of March 2021 to enable the development and delivery of activity as soon as practicable

· Allow for specialist / core staff to return from furlough or avoid redundancy to work on future sustainable activity plans

· Increase commissioning and employment opportunities for freelance artists and creative practitioners (between now and end of March 2021) to support continued public engagement while closed.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Our world-class performing arts venues have suffered immensely from the impacts of coronavirus. They were among some of the first businesses to close and sadly, will be amongst the last to reopen.

“We worked hard to get much-needed funding out as quickly as possible to the culture sector to help organisations cope with the immediate effects of the pandemic, and this new fund recognises the particular difficulties which continue to be felt by performing arts venues.

“I’m pleased to announce we have increased the fund to £12.5 million, which will ensure even more venues can get financial support to help them through this challenging time.”

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotland said: “We very much welcome this funding from Scottish Government which provides some much needed relief for Performing Arts Venues in Scotland, venues which are facing significant financial challenges due to their continued closure in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have worked at pace to open this fund for application as quickly as possible.

“Beyond this fund, we are also working closely with the Scottish Government on further measures to provide emergency support for the culture sector and further details will be announced as soon as possible.”

Extra funding to support low income families

Crisis Grants up by 24%

Funding of  £37.6 million was allocated to support people and families on low incomes in times of need in the 12 months to 31 March 2020 – an increase of 7% on the previous year.

Scottish Welfare Fund payments included £12.9 million in Crisis Grants – up 24% –  and £24.7 million on Community Care Grants.

The fund received 296,870 applications for help, with the most common reason families gave being their benefits or other income had been spent – up 27% on the previous year.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is further evidence that the UK Government’s benefits cuts are hitting the poorest in Scotland the hardest, with more and more people struggling just to make ends meet and being pushed to rely on food banks, or suffer from the stress of debt and rent arrears.

“That’s without taking into  consideration the significant financial impact that coronavirus (COVID-19)is having on some of those earning the least in our society.

“We took early action in March to more than double the Scottish Welfare Fund to £80.5 million this year in response to the expected impact of coronavirus, and we have made an additional £110 million available to support people struggling to access food during the pandemic. 

“That funding will help local authority partners continue to support people at this time and we would encourage anyone in need of support to apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund.”

Scottish Welfare Fund annual statistics 2019/20 

Families to be alerted to additional financial support

A first for social security in Scotland

The Scottish Government is to actively inform families that they may be eligible for Best Start Foods and the Best Start Grant.

Information obtained from DWP and HMRC will allow Social Security Scotland to identify people who are on certain benefits or tax credits and have children of the right age. Social Security Scotland will then write to an estimated 22,000 families before the end of August inviting them to apply.

The letters are aimed at increasing take up of all financial support families are entitled to as part of the Scottish Government’s benefit take-up strategy and the wider co-ordinated approach to helping families who are under even more financial pressure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This important new proactive approach to maximising benefit uptake is a first for social security in Scotland.

Families already receiving qualifying UK benefits and tax credits will receive these invites. Those who currently don’t receive such support but think that they may be eligible are still encouraged to find out if they too are entitled to access Scottish benefits.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Social security is a human right and an investment in the people of Scotland. Encouraging individuals to claim the financial assistance they are entitled to is a duty of government and a social responsibility. We are committed to making sure that people get all of the money that they are entitled to – to help maximise incomes and tackle poverty.

“The economic impacts of the pandemic are pushing thousands of people further into hardship so it’s important families are informed about the support available to them.

“This unique direct marketing of benefits complements the Scottish Government’s wider efforts to help parents during this challenging time. We must do all that we can to eradicate child poverty and make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up.”