Tag: Scottish Government

Summer support for students

Earlier financial help for those facing hardship

Students facing hardship this summer due to COVID-19 can now receive financial support within a package of new measures.

The Scottish Government has brought forward early access to £11.4 million of discretionary funds – support for higher education students in financial difficulty – to be administered by colleges and universities.

Unlike continuing higher education students, most former further education students can receive benefits if they are unemployed. Colleges will now have flexibility to offer discretionary funds to bridge the timing gap between bursary payments ending in June and Universal Credit payments starting.

Scottish students studying in Europe as part of EU Portability or historically arranged schemes will be able to access a £100,000 emergency fund administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

SAAS has also suspended all new debt recovery actions in respect to grants and bursaries until September for students whose circumstances have changed and may have to return overpayments. Students are encouraged to contact SAAS to discuss what help is available.

Minister for Further, Higher Education and Science Richard Lochhead said: “Given the economic impact of COVID-19, many continuing students who rely on seasonal and part-time jobs in the summer could find it difficult to cover their basic housing or cost of living costs.

“No student should face financial hardship as a result – so these new measures will support students until the start of the next academic year when bursary, grant and loan payments will begin again.

 “We are now bringing forward £11.4 million in support for higher education students in financial difficulty that was not due to be available until the new academic year. This builds on our £5 million support plan for FE and HE students announced in April.

“The UK Government package announced on 4 May for higher education providers and students was disappointing, and fell short of recognising the full scale of the challenge.”

SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of extra financial help for students facing financial hardship over the summer months.  

MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “Many students across Edinburgh will have expected to find paid work over the summer to cover their rent or save for the following term – but are now, through no fault of their own, unable to do so.  

“This Scottish Government support will be welcome news for those students who rely on part-time jobs over the summer months, who could find it difficult to cover their living costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“No student should face financial hardship as a result of this crisis – and these new measures will support students until the start of the next academic year when bursary, grant and loan payments will begin again.”

First Test and Protect data published

Breaking the chain of virus transmission

The first set of data from week one of the coronavirus (COVID-19) Test and Protect system has been published.

The data, which will be published weekly, shows:

  • the number of positive index cases from 28 May to 7 June
  • the number of index cases where contact tracing has been completed
  • the number of contact traces

Since Test and Protect was launched, 681 cases have tested positive with 741 contacts traced.

The level of data published will continue to improve once the data is robust and validated.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Jeane Freeman said: “Since 28 May, contact tracers across the country have followed up each new positive test to ensure those who may have come into contact with the virus take steps to isolate. By doing so, we can break the chains of transmission while slowly changing lockdown measures.

“The average number of people traced for each positive case reflects that we are still in phase 1 of lifting lockdown restrictions and people should not be mixing with large numbers of people outside of their own household.

“I would encourage anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 to come forward as early as possible and get a test immediately to help us supress the spread of the virus.

“Contact tracing is one part of our work to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical distancing and good hand and cough hygiene continues to play a vital role in helping to minimise the spread of infection.”

20-06-10-covid19-publication_summary

Test and Protect was rolled out across Scotland on 28 May 2020.

The Test and Protect data is published on Public Health Scotland’s website.

Drilling down the data: community funding maps

Interactive breakdown of emergency funding

A new collection of digital maps is to display the funding being given to support communities across Scotland affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

The online dashboard enables users to view financial support by local authority across four main funds. An overview map also shows total and per capita funding in each area.

In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of emergency funding for communities to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic.

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s Holyrood debate on the next steps for communities, Ms Campbell said: “We are aware of the financial pressures many households are currently facing and these maps show the swift action and substantial financial support we have provided to help people at this difficult time.

“We have reached every local authority, delivering for communities across Scotland.

“Our £70 million Food Fund, for example, has made sure people in the shielding group can access the food they need while self-isolating. It has also funded essential free school meals for 175,000 children and young people and supported others at risk from the virus or struggling financially.

“Today I will outline our next steps to support communities across Scotland as we move towards recovery and renewal. When this crisis hit, we proved change could be made rapidly and we must build on that momentum to achieve our long-term goals of reducing poverty and inequality.”

Find out more about funding provided and access the Community Funding Mapping hub.

Helping communities affected by COVID-19

As part of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Scottish Government announced an additional £350 million to help communities and local government respond to the crisis.

This includes:

  • a Food Fund to support those who would otherwise be unable to access food through the usual routes.
  • a Wellbeing Fund to support organisations providing important services to people most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • a Supporting Communities Fund for community anchor organisations to help support local responses to the pandemic.
  • a Third Sector Resilience Fund to support third sector organisations that deliver services and products but find themselves in financial difficulties directly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic

To provide emergency funding to key national partners who identified an urgent need for support, we established an Immediate Priorities Fund which was drawn from both the Food Fund and Wellbeing Fund.

Our mapping tool shows how funding has been allocated across these four funds. Funding is shown by local authority area for each fund, based on total amounts awarded. Other information, including number of awards, is also set out.

An overview map brings all this funding together, also showing the additional resource provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund and other ‘hardship funding’ monies for local authorities to spend on their own COVID-19 priorities. The overview map also shows funding by local authority level on a per capita basis.

Note: These dashboards are provided for general information purposes only and use data from various sources. Due to the nature of the data, and the ongoing status of these funds, we cannot guarantee that at any particular instance it is complete, accurate or up to date.

We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling poverty and increasing social inclusion in our society.

So we have created a range of funding streams to help agencies and local communities tackle inequalities.

Empowering Communities Fund

The £20 million Empowering Communities Fund, established in 2015, enables communities to tackle poverty and inequality and take forward regeneration in their areas on their own terms. This helps communities find solutions that work for them and to deliver long-term improvements.

The Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund

This £15 million Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities Fund has been awarded to third sector organisations that tackle inequalities and poverty, support parents and carers, improve learning and build skills.

It replaced the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund and Strategic Funding Partnerships and is designed to help children, families and communities across Scotland.

BAME community and coronavirus: we need answers

A recent publication released by the government states that BAME communities – including the Bangladeshi community – are disproportionality impacted by COVID-19 (writes Foysol Choudhury). 

My community would like to know: how many Bangladeshi people have actually died from Covid-19? Where is the evidence regarding why they died?

We are asking for factual information to relay back to the communities as misinformation has a detrimental impact on people’s mental wellbeing, which has become clearly apparent from speaking to the local BAME community members.

As an organisation and as community activists, it is our job to ensure our communities are given the current and correct information in a manner they understand. Failing this causes paranoia, worry and stress. This is very detrimental for those people who already have underlying health issues and mental condition such as depression and anxiety.

Public Health Scotland published some interim data about two weeks ago that suggested that there was no evidence of disproportionate impact on BAME communities in Scotland. A few weeks ago it was mentioned that Black people are at higher risk of dying from Covid-19. Why?

Information given in the media relating to BAME people should be based on science facts and provide clear explanations to why BAME people are at higher risk of Covid deaths.

Is it due to the lack of PPE provided for front line workers, or poorer working conditions and poor health? Why are certain ethnicities more at risk? In particularly, those who are working as carer, patient handlers, porters, cleaners etc.

“An analysis of survival among confirmed COVID-19 cases and using more detailed ethnic groups, shows that after accounting for the effect of sex, age, deprivation and region, people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had about twice the risk of death than people of White British ethnicity.

People of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Caribbean and Other Black ethnicity had between 10 and 50% higher risk of death when compared to White British.”

If this is the case, where are the UK statistics? What is the government proposing to do to eliminate such disparities? I am keen to get Scottish Covid 19 related data on BAME communities; test results, hospital admission, death and suspected infected.

It is the responsibility of the government to release true, reliable statistics – not to create fear and division in the community by releasing data that has no scientific evidence.

As a member of the Bangladeshi community, I am fully aware of community members going through many difficulties during this pandemic. I am also fully aware of only a few Covid-19 related deaths in Scotland.

It is shocking to hear that Bangladeshis are apparently at a higher risk of this disease. Please provide the data requested so that the community can protect themselves.

Foysol Choudhury MBE

Chairman, Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council

Action Against Inequality

A new expert group will work with the Scottish Government to provide a clearer picture of the impact on minority ethnic communities of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Following indications that minority ethnic communities may face higher risks from COVID-19, the group will consider evidence and data being gathered by the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, National Records of Scotland and the NHS, and advise on policy actions to mitigate any disproportionate effects.

As part of its immediate response to the pandemic, the Scottish Government has provided more than £500,000 to organisations working specifically with minority ethnic communities across Scotland.

Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: “The Scottish Government is deeply concerned by reports that suggest people from ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 both in terms of health and wider social and economic impacts.

“Although the current analysis in Scotland appears to show that there is not a higher level of COVID-19 cases than would be expected, I understand that many people will be anxious about protecting themselves and their families. I want to reassure them that we are taking this issue extremely seriously.

“We are working to better understand the data on how the pandemic is impacting on our minority ethnic communities in Scotland so we can take the appropriate action and this new group will use their expertise to challenge, inform and shape future work.

“Equality and human rights issues such as this are at the heart of our policy response to the impacts of COVID-19, and in particular in our recovery and renewal work. This is part of our wider work to advance race equality, backed by over £2.6 million in the last year.”

Angela Leitch, Chief Executive, Public Health Scotland said:  “Understanding whether minority ethnic communities are at greater risk from COVID-19 is a crucial part of our response to the virus, particularly in light of reports from other parts of the UK and across the world.

“Public Health Scotland is undertaking work to review the available evidence understand emerging patterns including comparisons between the situation in Scotland and other parts of the UK.

“We are also working with National Records of Scotland and the Scottish Government to analyse and report on the impact of COVID-19 by ethnicity. Working with other members of the expert group, our evidence and data will enable the development of an effective evidence-based response and ensure the health of all of Scotland’s communities is protected.”

FM: coronavirus update

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, on Tuesday 9 June:

Good afternoon. I’ll start – as I always do – with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,653 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 14 since yesterday.

A total of 1,011 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 31 from yesterday, including a decrease of 14 in the number of confirmed currently cases in hospital.

A total of 21 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 3 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,820 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

And in the last 24 hours, 7 deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 –the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, is therefore 2,422.

Of course, tomorrow we will have the weekly report from National Records of Scotland which includes confirmed and suspected deaths from the virus.

After two days of reporting zero deaths, today’s figure of 7 is, of course, not what we would want to hear.

However, it is important to stress that it is not a surprise either – we know there is a weekend lag in registration of deaths and so the numbers we report on Tuesdays are usually higher than those on Sundays and Mondays. Last Tuesday, for example, we reported 12 registered deaths.

So, today’s figure though an increase on the last two days, is nevertheless a further indication of a clear downward trend in the number of people who are losing their lives to this virus. And that, of course, is clearly welcome.

We know, however, that this will be no consolation whatsoever to people who are grieving these lost lives. The figures I have just read out are not simply statistics. They represent individuals who are being mourned and grieved by many. So – once again – I want to convey my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.

I also want to express again my thanks to our health and care workers. The entire country is so grateful to you for everything you continue to do during this very difficult time.

And, during what is Carers Week, I also want to thank our unpaid carers. This pandemic has demonstrated again the importance of what you do – but it has also, I know, created additional stress and anxiety for many of you.

That is why the Health Secretary announced some additional help for young carers on Sunday, and it is why we are paying an additional Coronavirus Carers Allowance at the end of this month, to those who receive the Carers Allowance.

In addition, we have also helped carers’ centres to work remotely. That means that help, advice and support is still available – online or on the phone – to all carers across the country. That support is not just available to people who have been carers for several months or years – it also applies to people who have had to take on caring responsibilities as a direct result of this pandemic.

And so I’d recommend to any carer, including any new carer, that if you need advice – or practical help, or just a friendly word – you can search for your local carers’ centre on the Care Information Scotland website, and get in touch. Help is available for you if you need it.

And finally, thank you once again to all of our carers for everything that you do. Your efforts make such an enormous difference obviously to those you care for, to all of their loved ones, and to the wider community and our whole country. All of us are grateful to you for that.

I want to highlight two further issues today.

Firstly, I can confirm that we will publish initial data in relation to our Test and Protect system tomorrow.

That information will include how many positive cases have been identified so far through Test & Protect, and how many of those have had their contacts traced. At this stage, this will be national data though we intend to break it down regionally in the weeks ahead and add more detail to it. It is also data that will, at this stage, reflect the early stage of Test & Protect.

One point that it is important to note at this stage is that the figures that we publish tomorrow will not completely match our daily testing figures that we publish at this daily update, because they will also include results from the drive-through centres that are situated in various parts of the country.

The Covid update I give tomorrow – which I will deliver in parliament just before First Minister’s Questions – may be too short to explain those new figures in detail.  However I will say more about them later in the week.

For now, though, I want to stress that if you have symptoms of the virus – a new, continuous cough, a fever, or a loss or change in your sense of taste or smell – you should immediately take steps to book at test. Please do not wait to see if you feel better first, do it straight away. And you and your household, of course, should isolate immediately.

You can book a test at nhsinform.scot or by phoning NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

If you don’t have symptoms but you are contacted to say you’ve been a contact of someone who has tested positive, please do follow the advice you are given on self isolation.

I can’t stress enough that the willingness of all of us to fully co-operate with Test & Protect in the weeks and months to come will be absolutely vital to our efforts to keep the virus suppressed as we try to restore some normality to our everyday lives.

The second issue I want to cover relates to the impact of Covid-19 on people from minority ethnic communities.

Public Health Scotland’s preliminary analysis of data from Scotland, which was published towards the end of May, does not appear to show that people from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by Covid in terms of its impact on their health.

But these are preliminary findings based on limited data, and we know that studies in other parts of the UK and indeed around the world have provided different results to that. And we also recognise that people from ethnic minorities could be disproportionately affected by the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 – as well as the health impact.

The Scottish Government has already allocated more than £500,000 to organisations that work directly with ethnic minority groups across Scotland. But we know that we may well need to do more.

For that reason, I am establishing a new expert reference group, made up of academics and other advisers.

That group will consider the evidence on Covid-19 in Scotland – including the data provided by NHS Scotland, National Records of Scotland and Public Health Scotland – to assess the impact of the virus on minority ethnic communities. In areas where Covid is having a disproportionate effect, they will also make recommendations on policies and approaches to mitigate that.

It is always essential – at any time – to listen to people from our ethnic minority communities, to work with them, and to ensure that the policies we adopt and implement do not have disproportionate and adverse consequences.

It is, however, especially important at this time, and I hope that this expert reference group will ensure that our response to Covid 19 takes full account of the needs and experiences of our minority ethnic communities.

Finally, I want to end by emphasising once again our key and very important public health guidance.

Right now you should still be staying home most of the time, and you should still be meeting fewer people than you would normally. If your life feels like it is getting back to normal, ask yourself why that is the case – because it really shouldn’t yet be getting back to normal.

When you do meet people from another household, you must stay outdoors, and you must stay 2 metres, at least, apart from them.

Don’t meet up with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day – and please keep to a maximum of 8 people in any group.

Wash your hands thoroughly and often. If you are out of your home, take hand sanitiser with you.

Please wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport or in any enclosed space where physical distancing is more difficult.

Avoid touching hard surfaces – and any you do touch, make sure you clean them regularly and thoroughly.

And if you have the symptoms of Covid-19 – a new continuous cough, a fever, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell – you must get tested, and follow the advice on self isolation.

And above all for all of us, if we all remember each and every day that the decisions we are taking as individuals now have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of all of us, then we will all do the right thing and it is more likely that we get through this crisis more quickly.

£300,000 for Scotland’s young carers

Carers Week launched with additional support.

£300,000 from the £350 million communities funding to support people and communities affected by COVID-19 is being given to support young carers across Scotland.

Young Scot will receive £200,000 to provide online subscriptions and e-vouchers for young carers. Meanwhile £100,000 will go to expanding the Time To Live small grants scheme.

The additional funding comes as National Carers Week begins.

Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing Joe FitzPatrick said: “There are an estimated 29,000 young carers in Scotland making an invaluable contribution to society. However, many of them don’t get the same opportunities as their peers, due to having more responsibility and less free time.

“Many of those young people may be under even greater strain than usual, and not had a chance to take a break from caring due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

“That’s why we are providing this funding to support as many young carers as possible to access opportunities such as e-vouchers, subscription packages and short breaks that can help improve their quality of life during this time.

“This is in addition to our Young Carer Grant of £305 per year. Anyone aged between 16 and 18 years old who spends more than 16 hours per week caring for a person in receipt of certain disability benefits can apply – and I would encourage them to do so.

“And young carers can access these new opportunities via the Young Scot website and their local carers centre.”

A young carer is anyone under the age of 18 (or 18 and still at school) who provides or intends to provide care for someone else. 

The Young Scot package is available to all young carers aged 11-18 and can be applied for via the Young Scot website.

The Time to Live small grants are available to young carers of any age through their local delivery partner – usually a local carers centre. Carers can find out where their nearest delivery partner is via the Shared Care Scotland website.

Eligible young carers can apply for the Young Carer Grant via the Social Security Scotland website.

 

 

New health measures for travellers to Scotland

The UK government’s plans for 14 days self-quarantining of arrivals will spell disaster for Scotlands aviation industry – GMB 

GMB, the union for aviation staff, has described the UK government’s plans to introduce self-quarantine for UK arrivals as ‘ill thought out’. 

From today (Monday 08 June) arrivals to the UK will be expected to quarantine for 14 day save for a list of exempted professions.

GMB believes the move lacks scientific evidence and will be disastrous for the aviation industry and the economy in Scotland.

The union has launched the Save Our Airports campaign with six key demands which include extending the 80% furlough scheme for another 12 months, a financial package to support the aviation industry and a commitment to work with unions to deliver a way forward for the industry.

In 2018 the aviation industry supported almost 23,000 jobs in Scotland and contributed more than £240 million to the economy. The gross median salary of an air transport worker in 2018 was around £30,000.

In recent weeks many of these workers have been risking their own health facilitating cargo flights containing vital medical, food supplies and PPE to aid in the national effort against Covid 19 infections.

The union argue that airports are of huge significance to regional economies; providing highly skilled jobs which are often difficult to replicate, whilst also contributing to the creation of almost 126,000 supply chain jobs.

GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “The UK Government’s plans for self-quarantining arrivals to the UK will prove disastrous for an already beleaguered aviation industry. 

“This is a populist move, made without any real scientific evidence or consultation with the industry and unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the sector.

“Many people forget the huge significance of the aviation industry to the economy of Scotland and the impact this quarantine will have on much needed jobs here.

“Aviation jobs aren’t just about airlines, cabin crew and pilots; the aviation industry provides important supply chain jobs to baggage handlers, security, fire crews, taxi drivers and retail workers.

“If the UK government don’t end this ill thought out policy and step in with a bespoke financial package for aviation then thousands of regional aviation jobs will be lost. It’s not too late for the UK government to act.”

The new public health measures come into force today (8 June) to help suppress coronavirus (COVID-19) and prevent new cases being brought into Scotland.

The range of measures, which will be broadly similar to those in other parts of the UK, will include:

  • a requirement for residents and visitors entering the UK from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days
  • the completion of an online passenger locator form by all travellers prior to travel to supply contact details, travel details and the address of where they will self-isolate
  • spot checks at the border by Border Force, who may impose fines on travellers who refuse to comply
  • arrangements for some of those arriving into Scotland to be contacted during their period of self-isolation for the provision of public health advice and information
  • powers for police to impose a fixed penalty notice for anyone failing to comply with the mandatory conditions, with the ability to report persistent offenders to the Procurator Fiscal for potential prosecution

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are, as a country and across the world, continuing to deal with unprecedented challenges that this pandemic brings. These public health measures will play an important part in helping to prevent further spread of the disease.

“These steps are aimed at protecting people and ensuring that we limit spread when our own infection rates are falling. However, they are temporary and will not be in place any longer than deemed necessary to protect public health – as such, they will be reviewed after three weeks.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Over the past few weeks, the UK government has caused endless confusion among travellers over whether holidays can go ahead.

“Even today, as it ushers in 14-day quarantine for UK arrivals, many consumers are confused as to whether the holiday they already have booked will take place due to the lack of consistent communication from the government.

“Meanwhile, the absence of a definitive date from the FCO on when its travel ban will remain in force until continues to allow travel firms to sell holidays departing in the next few weeks that almost certainly can’t go ahead.

“Not only will those customers not get a holiday, but they may not get their money back either – as some travel firms continue to delay and deny refunds.”

Give us our money!

UK Government pressed on £10 million gap

Tens of millions of pounds of lifeline funding has been fast-tracked to charities by the Scottish Government since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis – despite delays in clarity over Barnett consequentials, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell has said.

Highlighting the key role the third sector has played in delivering vital support during the pandemic, Ms Campbell urged the UK Government to be clear in its support for vital services, by indicating when a £10 million shortfall in funding would be resolved.

In April, £35 million of consequentials was earmarked for the Scottish Government in respect of charity support direct grants, but this was later amended by the Treasury to £25 million.

Ms Campbell said: “Charities and third sector organisations have worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 crisis to ensure food, essential supplies and other vital services reach those most in need in our communities, as donation streams and other funding routes dried up overnight.

“Now more than ever these organisations deserve clarity.

“Had we not acted quickly at the start of the crisis to ensure tens of millions in funding reached the frontline, many organisations would not have been able to provide the level of service they have delivered in communities across Scotland, and that would have been hugely damaging to the people who rely on them.

“The Finance Secretary has already written to the UK Government seeking clarity on this funding (below). A fortnight on and we are still in the dark over this £10 million shortfall, undermining the Scottish budget at a critical time.”

kate forbes letter

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes wrote to the UK Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Barclay on 22 May to raise the Scottish Government’s concerns (above).

Charities across Scotland receive funding from the Scottish Government, directly and via local authorities, through a £350 million package of emergency funding to help those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including:

  • the £50m Wellbeing Fund
  • the £40m Supporting Communities Fund
  • the £25m Third Sector Resilience Fund

Charities with property overheads can apply for the £10,000 Small Business Grant Scheme, expected to result in an additional £31 million in support.

 

FM: Young People – you are not immune

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 5 June:

Good afternoon everyone. As you can see, I’m joined today by Iain Livingstone, Chief Constable of Police Scotland and by Professor Jason Leitch, our National Clinical Director.

I’ll start today – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,582 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 29 from yesterday.

A total of 995 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That represents a decrease of 26 from yesterday, including a decrease of nine in the number of confirmed cases.

Now as I said yesterday, in relation to the number of people who had their deaths registered in the previous day, we have to be very careful at reading too much into single day figures, but nevertheless I think it is reasonable to point out, that this is the first time since the 30 March, that the number of patients in hospital has been lower than 1,000. So again, a positive indication of the progress that we are making.

A total of 23 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of five since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,778 patients who had tested positive for the virus have now been able to leave hospital.

In the last 24 hours though, 14 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,409.

Now as I always do, I want to stress that these numbers are not just statistics. They are individuals whose loss is being deeply felt by their loved ones. So – once again – I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my thanks – as I always do – to our health and care workers.  Your efforts are enormously appreciated – and not just by me and by the Scottish Government, they are appreciated, I know, by everyone in Scotland.

There are – of course – many other frontline and key workers who are helping the country through this crisis and with the Chief Constable here today, I want to take the opportunity to say a special thank you again, to our police officers and staff. They are also working under real pressure at the moment but they are doing an exceptional job for all of us.

There are two items I want to cover today.

The first concerns the economic impact of COVID-19.  I have just come from the Cabinet sub-committee on the economy earlier this morning – where we noted the latest monthly report, from our Chief Economist. 

That document, which was published this morning, provides a summary of Scotland’s key economic statistics.

Among other things, it shows that – in the first half of May – almost 1/5 of businesses in Scotland were temporarily closed and that contributed to more than 750,000 people being furloughed or unable to work as normal.

The report also shows that turnover is down in almost every sector of our economy.

And it contains new modelling, which takes account of the different phases for easing lockdown. On that basis, the report forecasts a more gradual economic recovery – one which might not see us return to pre-crisis levels, for a number of years.

In short, today’s publication confirms the scale of the economic crisis that we now face. In doing that, it further underlines why government action is so important and why it will continue to be so important.

The Scottish Government has already allocated more than £2.3 billion to help businesses and protect jobs.  And of course that’s before we consider important UK-wide measures currently in place – such as the Job Retention scheme.

That kind of support is helping to mitigate some of the economic impact of this crisis.  And it will continue to be vital as our businesses seek to rebuild.

And I want to again today give an assurance that the Scottish Government is determined to everything we can to support that process of rebuilding and recovery.  We will continue to do everything we can to protect your livelihoods.   That’s important in the short-term, but it is also vital to help lay the groundwork, for a sustainable economic recovery.

Of course that recovery will be helped by continued progress against this virus. If we have a set-back in tackling the virus, it will make the re-opening of our economy all the more difficult.

So the second item I want to cover today, is directly related to the first, and it concerns the current lockdown restrictions and particularly how I hope the people will comply with them over this weekend and beyond.

We’re now, of course, at the close of the first full week since we moved into phase 1 of our route map out of lockdown – and eased some of the restrictions.  So far, the vast majority of people have stuck by the new rules.  And I want to take the opportunity again today, to thank all of you who have continued to do the right thing.

However, it’s also clear that – over the past week – not absolutely everyone has done that.  The Chief Constable may say more later about compliance – and how the restrictions will be enforced, if necessary.

For my part, I want to set out very clearly again today, what the current rules are.  And to do that, instead of focussing on what we are now allowed to do, I want to again emphasise what we’re asking everyone not to do because it’s by not doing the things, that we know from the evidence that allows the virus to spread more easily, that we will keep it under control.

So to start, you mustn’t meet people from other households indoors. I know that might be a particular temptation on a weekend like this – when we’re expecting again poor weather. 

But let me be clear, that is extremely high risk. We know –  and we don’t know everything yet about this virus – but we do know that it transmits much more easily between people inside than it does outside.

So if you’re not willing to meet outdoors  – in all likelihood the rain  – please do not meet up with people from other households at all and I cannot emphasise that strongly enough.

I am not exaggerating when I say that if you do meet people from other households indoors, you are putting yourselves and you are putting them at risk of getting the virus of becoming ill with it and potentially dying from it and I would ask you not – please – to take that risk.

However, while the risk of meeting outdoors is lower, it is not absolutely zero  – so that means that if you do meet outdoors, you must not get within 2 metres of members of another household.

You should certainly not be shaking their hands or hugging them, difficult though I know that is and you shouldn’t share food of utensils with people from other households of touch hard surfaces that they may also have touched because again, these are ways in which we know the virus spreads relatively easily.

And were asking that – when two households do meet up – there should be no more than eight people in total in a group. In addition, you should not go more than five miles for recreation and you shouldn’t leave your face uncovered if you are in and enclosed space like a shop and public transport.

Wearing a face covering helps you protect others – and having others wear a face covering – means that they help protect you.

A more general point I want to make is that – even now – you should still be seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.  And you should still be trying to stay at home as much as you possible.

Basically, if you start to feel that your social life is returning to normal – that’s not a good sign right now.

That message applies to everyone – but it’s perhaps particularly relevant to young people. I want, today, to make a special plea to all of you, the young people of Scotland.

Many of you – I know – will be desperate to spend more time with your pals, after weeks of being apart.  You might even think that as young people, you are less likely to become seriously ill as a result of the virus and I know this from speaking to the young people in my own life.

But I want to be very clear – you are not immune from this virus, you can get it and it can be very harmful to you.

But even if you’re not seriously affected yourself, you can still pass it on to other young people.  They might then pass it on to others who are at greater risk from COVID-19 – such as their parents or grandparents.  And that could have really tragic consequences.

So I would urge you – and I know you all know how important this is  –  please don’t just think about your own risk, please think about the risk to your parents and your grandparents and to your friends’ parents and grandparents.

Don’t take risks that you could end up regretting and possibly grieving in the weeks ahead. Please stick to the rules.

Can I also say finally, just a very brief word and a very heartfelt word to those who I know want to make their voices heard this weekend in support of Black Lives Matter.

I want to urge you to make your voices heard. We all feel very strongly about this but I want to ask you, to do so safely.

In normal times, I may well have been planning to join a gathering of support this weekend. But coming together in mass gatherings right now is simply not safe. It poses a real risk to health and it poses a real risk to life.

So I would encourage you to read the statement that was issued yesterday by Kadi Johnson, Sheku Bayoh’s sister, and by Humza Yousaf, Anas Sarwar and Aamer Anwar asking people to protest in different ways.

For example you can make your voice heard online, you can lobby elected representatives, or you can make a donation to anti-racism campaigns but please, please, try to stay within the rules that are there for your own protection and above all please stay safe.

In fact, that’s a message which all of us should heed.  If you’re wondering whether or not it’s okay to do something this weekend, ask yourself if you’ve giving the virus an opportunity to spread.   And if you’re in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, please err on the side of caution.

Above all else, please remember that every single decision we take right now as individuals, will affect the safety and the wellbeing of everyone.

The progress we’ve made against this virus – over these past few weeks – is real and I say that every day because I mean it – and it is as a result of all of us, overwhelmingly, sticking to these rules.  And that kind of collective effort will continue to be vital – as we slow the spread of this virus, even further.

I’m confident that the vast majority of you will continue to play your part.  And I want thank all of you, in advance, for showing that solidarity with each other and for doing exactly that.

FM: Progress – but DO NOT meet people from another household indoors

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Thursday 4 June):

Good afternoon. Thank you very much for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start with my usual update on the current position in relation to Covid-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,553 positive cases confirmed – that is an increase of 49 from yesterday.

A total of 1,021 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 96 from yesterday, including a decrease of 21 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 28 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 6 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,758 patients who had tested positive and required hospital treatment for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And in the last 24 hours, 9 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,395.

Now, as I often say, we cannot and indeed we should not read too much into any one day’s figures – and tomorrow’s figure or the next day’s figure may be higher than the one I have just given you – but I think it is still worth noting that yesterday was the first weekday, since 27 March, when the number of deaths registered under our daily measure was in single figures.

I think that demonstrates the progress we are making against this virus, but it also underlines why we all continue to need to comply with the public health guidance, so that we can continue to make this progress and don’t allow it to go into reverse.

But of course 9 deaths is still too many, and thinking of those 9 lives lost reinforces the point I make every day: that these figures are not just statistics; they represent people – unique and irreplaceable individuals – whose loss will have left families shattered and grieving. So I want to send my condolences once again to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my thanks– as I always do – to our health and care workers, for the incredible work you are doing in incredibly challenging circumstances. My thanks goes to each and every one of you. The entire country owes you a debt of gratitude.

I am joined today by the Chief Medical Officer and the Cabinet secretary for Health. The Cabinet Secretary has some information to share about the prioritisation of cancer services, and the Chief Medical Officer will focus on figures which were published yesterday relating to patients in intensive care.

Before they speak, I want to  acknowledge the job losses announced yesterday at Rolls Royce in Inchinnan.  That announcement will have been devastating news for the workforce and their families, at what is already a very anxious time – and unfortunately it may not be the last of its kind in the period ahead. I want to stress that the Scottish Government will do everything we can to secure as good an outcome as we can for those whose jobs are at risk.

Yesterday’s news emphasises a point I have made before – that alongside a public health emergency, we are also now dealing with an economic emergency, on a scale none of us have experienced.

And that requires – and it will get – the attention and focus of the Scottish Government, just as the health emergency has and continues to get.

We have already allocated more than £2.3 billion to help businesses in Scotland through measures such as grants and business rates relief. That is in addition to welcome UK Government measures such as the furlough scheme.

Mitigating and addressing the economic costs of Covid is going to become an even greater priority in the weeks and months ahead.

But alongside that, and as part of our response, we also want to help businesses, where possible, to adapt and find new markets.

One of the areas where we have been doing that already, is in relation to personal and protective equipment, or PPE – in Scotland.

We are publishing a report today that summarises how we are securing PPE for health and care workers in Scotland – it also sets out the work we are doing to develop a manufacturing chain for that equipment.

To demonstrate the scale of some of this work, it’s maybe worth looking at an item such as fluid resistant surgical masks. Those are masks which help to prevent blood, bodily fluids and secretions from one person – including water droplets from coughs – coming into contact with the mouth or nose of the person wearing the mask.

Prior to Covid-19, National Services Scotland would provide around 57,000 of those masks to our health and care sector each week.

Now, instead of needing 57,000 masks a week, we need 4 ½ million. That is an 80-fold increase.

To meet that demand, we are importing equipment from overseas. 100 million fluid resistant masks have been imported from China, and a further 60 million are on order.

But we are also working with suppliers in Scotland to establish domestic supply chains.

Alpha Solway, a firm based in south-west Scotland which specialises in protective clothing, is due to start producing masks in August.  They have taken on 30 new staff to do so, and they are using raw material sourced from Don & Low in Forfar.

As a result, we hope that in due course, manufacturers in Scotland will be able – not just to meet demand for these masks here in Scotland – but also provide them to other parts of the UK or to other countries in Europe.

There is a similar story in relation to other items of equipment. We are creating supply chains for non-sterile gowns and FFP3 masks.  In addition, Berry BPI are planning to make 2-3 million new aprons a week in Greenock. A number of smaller Scottish enterprises are planning to make visors.

And CalaChem Ltd has produced 580,000 litres of hand sanitiser at its Grangemouth plant, using ethanol provided by Whyte & Mackay.

Many other Scottish businesses have diversified in order to help with the provision of PPE and I am grateful to each and every one of them.

They have worked alongside public service bodies such as NHS Scotland, Scottish Development International and the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland.

And it is worth highlighting that in many cases, companies are not simply making existing products. They are often using innovation to improve the equipment – for example by ensuring that face masks fit better on small faces, and that more equipment can safely be re-used.

Fundamentally, the Scottish Government’s priority – which we are achieving – must always be to ensure that we have adequate stocks of PPE.

Our health and care service workers – the people who help and protect us – must themselves be protected.

That is important at the moment, but also for the future, as we look to reopen the NHS, and maintain secure stocks of equipment for social care.

We will always, when necessary, place major orders with overseas suppliers.

However we are also increasingly taking advantage of the expertise of manufacturers here. Doing that gives us greater reassurance that supplies will be secure in the long term, and it also creates real benefits in terms of jobs and exports.

Those benefits don’t of course come close to balancing the wider economic harms caused by this pandemic – and so the Scottish Government will continue to work with business and the UK Government to address those. But these benefits are welcome nonetheless. And they are a testament to the ongoing importance and excellence of our manufacturing sector here in Scotland.

I will hand over to the Cabinet Secretary and Chief Medical Officer in a moment. Before I do that, however, I want to re-emphasise our key public health guidance.

And I’m asking you today to focus not just on what you are now allowed to do as a result of the small changes we made last week – but to focus even more so on what we are still asking you not to do.

It is by not doing certain things right now that we will help stop the virus spreading – so that means not meeting other households indoors, not coming within 2 metres of people from other households, not shaking their hands or hugging them, not sharing food or utensils with others or touching hard surfaces they may also have touched and not leaving your face uncovered in enclosed spaces like shops and public transport.

So I’m asking you to think about all of that every time you leave home or meet with someone from another household.

And, particularly, ahead of a weekend when the weather forecast is more traditionally Scottish ie heavy rain – I want to particularly emphasise this point:

You cannot and must not meet people from another household indoors – that is a sure fire way of allowing this virus to spread again.

So if you’re not willing to get your waterproofs on and meet outdoors, don’t meet up at all.

I cannot emphasise that enough.

So to recap –

You should still be staying home most of the time, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal. If your life feels like it is getting back to normal at the moment, you should ask yourself whether it should be and whether you are complying with all the guidance.

When you do meet people from another household, you must stay outdoors, and you must stay 2 metres apart from them.

Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day – and keep to a maximum – I stress, a maximum – of 8 people in a group.

Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser if you are out and about.

Wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport.

Avoid touching hard surfaces – and clean any you do touch.

And if you have the symptoms of Covid-19 – a new, continuous cough; a fever; or a loss of, or change in, your sense of smell and taste – you must get tested, and follow the advice on self isolation.

Above all else, please remember that the decisions each of us take as an individual, affect the health and wellbeing of all of us.

Please, continue to do the right thing, and to stick to those guidelines. It really, really matters, and it matters as much now as it did at the start of this pandemic. By doing so, we will continue to slow the spread of the virus, and save lives. So thank you, once again, to all of you for doing that.