Tag: Test and Protect

Test and Protect vital to containing spread of COVID-19

Following the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Aberdeen, people are reminded of the importance of self-isolation to control the spread of the virus.

Once a positive case is identified, contact tracers will call all of their close contacts and advise them to self-isolate for 14 days.

Calls from contact tracers will come from one number – 0800 0308 012 – and the identity of the positive case will not be disclosed.

Interim Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “Test and Protect is vital to help us suppress the virus and identify any local outbreaks like the one in Aberdeen.

“It is crucial that people who are identified as close contacts of a positive index case follow the advice given by the contact tracer and self-isolate for 14 days.

“If you are a contact of a positive case you must still self-isolate even if you get a negative test result. A negative result is not a substitute for self-isolating as people can be asymptomatic and test positive at a later date.

“Self-isolation, as part of the Test and Protect system, will help us contain the spread of the virus and help us move out of lockdown.”

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

People with any of the following symptoms should self-isolate and book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they are unable to access the online service:

  • a high temperature or fever
  • a new continuous cough 
  • a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste

Scots encouraged to follow crucial steps to control coronavirus

The role NHS Scotland Test and Protect plays in containing future coronavirus outbreaks has been highlighted, as new research suggests people know their actions count.

With the vast majority (89 per cent) of people believing it necessary to follow the Scottish Government’s guidelines if the country is to get out of lockdown, NHS Lothian has reminded people of three things they need to do to help suppress the virus as restrictions ease:

1:  Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms: a new, persistent cough, high temperature or loss or change in taste or smell.

2:  If the test result is positive, you’ll be contacted by a member of the NHS team and asked to provide them with the names of people you’ve been in close contact with as they may be at risk.

3:  If you’re contacted by NHS Scotland to say you’ve been in close contact with someone that has the virus, isolate for 14 days.  Following this advice is crucial as it can take 14 days for symptoms to develop, and the virus can be passed on during this time.

The research, released as the nation moves through phase 3 of the route map, shows that the majority of people in Scotland (92 per cent) see the role individuals have in suppressing coronavirus as important.

However, with one in ten (12 per cent) saying they are less likely to follow guidelines if others aren’t following them, NHS Lothian yesterday encouraged people to stick with it over the coming weeks and months to protect themselves, their loved ones and keep their community safe.

Professor Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian said: “Test and Protect is key to breaking the chains of coronavirus transmission, protecting the progress we’ve made and helping to save lives. 

“If you have symptoms, please self-isolate, get tested and share details of those you’ve come into close contact with.  If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and are asked to self-isolate by the NHS, it’s essential you follow that advice.  Support to self-isolate is there if you need it.

“For this to work, we need everyone’s help. If you have symptoms, we’re asking you to self-isolate, get tested and share details of those you’ve come into close contact with. If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive and are asked to self-isolate by the NHS, it’s important to follow that advice. 

“These three steps, along with following the FACTS guidelines, shows people you care about others, sets a good example, will help keep the virus under control and will allow us to continue to emerge from lockdown.”

People can book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they can’t get online.

The website provides information on additional support available. If you need to self-isolate and can’t get the help you need from family, friends or online, you can call the National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000. Local help is there for you behind that national number.

To reduce the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus, or being asked to isolate, remember FACTS – Face coverings, Avoid crowded places, Clean hands and surfaces regularly, Two-metre physical distancing and Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms.

Braille versions of Test and Protect guidance will be available for Scots with sight loss

Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland will produce braille versions of the Scottish Government Test and Protect guidance relating to the current coronavirus situation.

The move follows concerns that some blind and partially sighted people might be unable to access important health advice and guidance. In a  survey of people with sight loss commissioned by RNIB in May, one in four respondents said they had struggled to get information in a format they could understand.

James Adams, director of RNIB Scotland, said: “In the current situation accessible healthcare information is more essential than ever. It is vitally important everyone knows how to keep themselves and their community safe, and that blind and partially sighted people, who can be particularly vulnerable, are kept informed of new developments and guidance.

“So we are pleased to be able to assist the Scottish Government in making braille versions of information available on procedures for testing.”

Braille is the tactile system of raised dots on paper that can be ‘read’ by  fingertip touch. Although many blind and partially sighted people now use audio or screen-reading software to access information, thousands still use the system invented by Frenchman Louis Braille in 1837.

RNIB has produced guidelines on making information accessible for a range of public bodies and businesses. Some adjustments are relatively easy to make, points out Mr Adams.

“Even people who don’t consider themselves sight-impaired can sometimes struggle with very small print, or with text that doesn’t have a sharp enough contrast with the background colour,” James said.

“Much information is now communicated electronically or online. For people who use screen-reading software – which reads out text on websites or emails – this might not seem a problem. But some graphics can still confuse screen-readers, such as text superimposed on images, photos that don’t have alt-tags, text that is justified on both sides, or even just sentences that don’t end with a full-stop.

“That’s why it’s absolutely vital that we give full consideration to how accessible our communications are.”

Braille copies of Scottish Government Test and Protect information materials relating to the current coronavirus situation can be obtained from scotland@rnib.org.uk.

Test and Protect information is also available in audio and large-print format, as well as other languages and formats, from the Scottish Government website at  www.gov.scot/test-and-protect,

* The RNIB Helpline is available on 0303 123 9999.

COVID testing for under-fives

Children under the age of five who are displaying potential coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms will be eligible for testing from today (Wednesday 22 July).

Currently, children under five who have potential COVID-19 symptoms are not routinely tested and a test is only carried out if there is a pressing clinical need to do so – for example a young child who needs to be admitted to hospital and whose condition may be due to COVID-19 or a young child who is in hospital for some reason whose condition unexpectedly deteriorates.

Now, with childcare settings reopening from 15 July, children aged under five who have COVID-19 symptoms will be eligible for routine testing through all routes including drive-in Regional Testing Centres, Mobile Testing Units and by ordering a home test kit.

COVID-19 Testing for all children under 11 years old should be completed by their parent or carer.

Interim Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “In light of the continued change in lockdown restrictions and the resumption of early learning and childcare, we have reviewed our testing policy for children under five.

“We want to avoid households having to isolate unnecessarily if young children in their family are displaying coronavirus-like symptoms which can be common in this age group.

“I would encourage anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or whose child has symptoms, to get a test immediately to help us supress the spread of the virus.”

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

People with any of the following symptoms should self isolate and book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they are unable to access the online service:

• a high temperature or fever
• a new continuous cough
• a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste.

Test and Protect advice leaflet to be sent to Scottish households

Households are to be sent information explaining how the Test and Protect system works and setting out what to do if someone develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms.

NHS Test and Protect is being delivered by NHS Scotland to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. People with symptoms are urged to get tested straight away, with positive cases then referred to contact tracers.

The advice is being issued as the country moves into phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s exit strategy routemap with more restrictions being lifted and the new message to ‘Stay safe. Protect others. Save lives’.

The information will also be available online in 16 languages, large print and audio files.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman said: “NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect plays a vital and central role in protecting all of us and will ensure we move through the phases of our exit strategy. It is a collective effort to help us protect others and save lives.

“We will continue to lift restrictions if we break the chain of transmission and supress the spread of the virus. We need everyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 to isolate and book a test immediately and to work with NHS Scotland contact tracers to identify who they may have had close contact with.

“Please keep the leaflet handy so you know exactly what to do if you need to self-isolate and how to access any support you need.

“NHS Test and Protect is central to keeping this virus under control but so too is physical distancing, wearing a face covering, avoiding crowds and good hand and cough hygiene. Together all of this will help us stay safe, protect others and save lives.”

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

People with any of the following symptoms should book a test at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or call 0800 028 2816 if they are unable to access the online service:

  • a high temperature or fever
  • a new continuous cough
  • a loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste

The leaflet will be available online from 22 June 2020.

First Minister: making life-saving progress

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Thursday 11 June):

Introduction

Good afternoon, I will start with the usual update on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,682 positive cases confirmed through our NHS labs – that’s an increase of 17 from yesterday.

A total of 909 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 78 since yesterday, including a decrease of 10 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 21 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 3 since yesterday – but all of the increase I should say is in suspected cases.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,858 patients who had tested positive and needed hospital treatment for the virus have been able to leave hospital – and I wish all of them well.

And in the past 24 hours, 5 deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test as having the virus  – the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, is now therefore 2,439.

As always, it’s important to stress that the figures I have just read out are not just statistics. They all represent individuals who right now are being mourned by their families and friends. So – again – I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.

I also want to express my thanks – as always – to our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that they continue to do in very difficult and testing circumstances.

R Number

Now I want to highlight three issues today – firstly I will cover our latest report, which has just been published, on the “R” number”; I will update on some developments in the construction industry; and talk about support that we are making available for students over the summer.

I’ll then also close by reflecting on the importance of our Test and Protect system, which was launched two weeks ago, and our wider public health guidance.

Let me start though with today’s report on the “R” number.

As you will recall, the R number shows the rate at which this virus is reproducing. So in summary if R is above 1, every person with the virus will infect more than 1 other person, and the virus will then spread exponentially. If R though is below 1, the number of people with the virus will fall.

We estimate that the R number in Scotland, as of last Friday – 5 June – was between 0.6 and 0.8. That is a lower estimate than for two weeks ago, when we calculated that the number was likely to be between 0.7 and 0.9. So, under that estimate, we expect that the virus will continue to decline.

In addition, we estimate that last Friday, 4,500 people in Scotland had the virus and were infectious. Our previous estimate, for 29 May, had been that 11,500 people were likely to be infectious.

Now that, of course, sounds like a very big decline, so it’s worth me stressing, that we don’t actually think the number of infectious people has more than halved in just one week. What has been happening is that we have been reassessing our estimates for previous weeks, based on the latest figures available to us. So, in short, it is likely that the 11,500 was an overestimate, not that the number has halved in a single week.

However, notwithstanding that, these latest estimates reflect the encouraging data that we have seen in the last couple of weeks, and there is no doubt looking at all of this data, that we are making very real progress in combatting and suppressing the virus in Scotland.

However as always, it is important that I inject a note of caution. Firstly, the estimates I have reported to you today, of course don’t yet take account of the phase 1 changes that we made to begin the easing out of lockdown, and we need to continue to monitor any impact from that carefully.

Secondly, the number of people who we estimate will be infectious is certainly smaller than it was, but it is also still large enough to make the virus take off rapidly again if the R number was to go much above 1. So for these reasons we need to celebrate the progress but continue to be careful and cautious.

Next week, in fact a week today, we will have a further review of the lockdown restrictions.

I am currently very hopeful that at that point we will be able to lift some further restrictions. We may not be able to do everything in phase 2,  but I hope that we can do certainly, at least, some of that. Of course it is also possible that some of these changes will be phased over a three week period, but I’m hopeful that we will be able to take some further important steps forward when we report on the review next week.

But it is important again to stress that we must do that cautiously and proportionately. And I will also make the point I frequently make, but it is not just an obvious point, it is a very important point, we will be in a better position to lift more restrictions if all of us continue to stick with the current guidelines and further suppress the virus to lower levels than it is even now.

Construction sector

Now one area where we judge we can make some further progress now, is in the construction industry. I can confirm today that the sector will be able to move to the next step of its restart plan – which is something that was always envisaged as part of phase 1 of our route map. So it is not a change to phase 1.

Earlier steps have allowed for health and safety planning, followed by preparatory work at construction sites.

And moving to the next step of the industry plan will now allow workers to return to construction sites gradually, while using measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene to ensure that they can do so safely.

I am very grateful to the sector and trade unions for the very responsible approach that they have taken during an incredibly difficult time.

It’s important to be very clear though, that we still have a long way to go before construction will be working at full capacity, but there is no doubt this is a significant step in allowing an important industry to return safely to work.

I can also confirm today that we are extending our Help to Buy scheme – which was due to come to an end next March – we are extending that to March 2022.

Under that scheme, the Government provides up to 15% of the cost of buying a new-build home, and recovers its share of the funding when the property is sold, or when the share is bought out.

In recent years, this scheme has helped 17,000 people – more than ¾ of them aged 35 or under – to buy new-build homes. It has also, of course, been a valuable support for house builders. At present, of course, the pandemic means that the scheme is not being used.

So by confirming that it is being extended, I hope we can ensure that more people – who may otherwise have missed out on this scheme – are able to move into new homes in the future, and also that we are to provide a bit more confidence for the construction sector.

Student support

The third issue I want to talk about is support for students.

We know that many students rely on income from seasonal or part-time jobs – especially over the summer months – and that the economic impact of Covid will therefore cause them particular difficulties.

And that can be especially important for higher education students, who, unlike further education students, can’t usually claim benefits over the summer.

We have already provided additional support for students, and we have also suspended debt recovery action by the Student Awards Agency. And today, we are bringing forward more than £11 million of further support.

This funding will be administered by colleges and universities to help higher education students who most need it. And it is a further way in which we are trying to support students, at a time when many of them are still facing potential hardship.

Test and Protect

Now the final issue I want to cover today relates to my earlier discussion of the R number, and how we hope next week to announce some further changes to lockdown restrictions.

As we do that – as we gradually, and I emphasise gradually, return to meeting more people, and living a bit more freely, which all of us are of course keen to do – our test and protect system will become ever more important in helping us all to live a less restricted life, while still being able to suppress the virus.

Now yesterday, we published the first data from the system, which started two weeks ago today.

And that data shows, that in the period up to 7 June, 681 people who reported symptoms had tested positive for Covid. As of yesterday, contact tracing had been completed for 481 of those, and was in progress for a further 50.

Amongst those 531 cases, a total of 741 contacts had been traced – that’s just under 1½ people per case. And of course people’s contacts right now will be lower than normal because of the lockdown restrictions that are in place.

Now there’s two points that I think that are important for me to note about this data – and it is very initial data.

The first is that the number of people who have tested positive is higher than is suggested by our daily figures – the ones I report on new cases here each day.

That is because our daily figures do not yet cover tests from labs run by the UK Government – such as those for regional test centres and mobile units – although we will be able to include that information very soon.

In addition, the current figures slightly overstate the number of cases where no tracing has been carried out so far. One reason for that is that some historic cases – from the time when the system was being piloted – still feature in the data. If that historic data is removed, the proportion of completed cases increases from 71% to 86%.

We will publish more detailed data on test and protect in the weeks ahead because it is important not just that government understands how well it is working but you the public can see that too. But I want to be very clear that our preliminary indications are that test and protect is already working well. And of course we will identify areas for improvement as and when they arise and as the system becomes ever more established.

Fundamentally though, I want to stress to everyone watching just how important test and protect is and how important is it going to continue to be in the weeks and potentially the months that lie ahead.

I guess it essentially represents for all of us a kind of social bargain.

If you have symptoms, or – and in some ways actually this is the much more difficult bit, if you have been in contact with someone who has symptoms, even if you don’t have symptoms yourself – we will ask you to isolate completely.

We will support you in doing that, if you need that support – but it is still a very tough thing to ask people to do.

However, and this is the social bargain bit, if all of us agree to do that when necessary, it means that all of us together collectively will be able to continue to emerge from lockdown while keeping the virus under control.

At any one time, some of us will have to self-isolate for a period, so that together, all of us can start to lead a less restricted life.

So please, if you have symptoms of Covid-19 – remember that’s a new continuous cough, or a fever, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell – please do not wait for a few hours or a day or two to see if you feel better. Start self-isolating immediately that you experience these symptoms, and ask for a test immediately.

To remind you, you can do that by going to the NHS inform website, or by phoning NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816 – that’s 0800 028 2816. If we all do that, when we experience symptoms and if any of us are contacted to say we have been in close contact with someone who has the virus, and we agree to self-isolate, then all of us are going to help enable the whole country to get out of lockdown, not just a bit more quickly, but more safely as well.

Conclusion

The final point I’d like to make before we move on to questions is that your best way of reducing, the best way of all of us to reduce our chance of being a close contact with somebody with the virus – and of being asked to self-isolate as a result – is by continuing to stick to our key public health guidance. And of course, that is also our best way of avoiding and getting and transmitting the virus.

So just to remind everybody what that guidance is, you should still be staying home most of the time right now, and you should still be meeting fewer people than you normally would. If your life feels like it is getting back to normal right now, please ask yourself why that is – because it shouldn’t yet be feeling as if it is getting back to normal.

When you do meet people from another household, you absolutely must stay outdoors, do not go indoors, and you must stay 2 metres apart from members of the other household.

Please, do not meet up with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one in the course of any single day – and please keep to a maximum, I stress a maximum, of 8 people in any group.

Wash your hands often, make sure you’re doing it thoroughly. If you are out of your home take hand sanitiser with you.

Wear a face covering if you are in an enclose space, where physical distancing may be more difficult, for example in a shop or on public transport. Again I want to stress that. We know that one of us wearing a face covering helps reduce the risk of us transmitting the virus to somebody else. And somebody else wearing a face covering reduces the risk of them transmitting the virus to us.

It’s another way in which we can all act to protect each other.

Avoid touching hard surfaces – and any you do touch make sure you are cleaning them thoroughly.

And as I have already covered today, if you have symptoms of Covid-19 – ask for a test immediately, and please follow the advice on self-isolation.

Above all else, all of us right now should remember that in every single individual decision we take, we are potentially affecting the health and the wellbeing of others, and indeed the wellbeing of the whole country.

So if all of us continue to do the right thing, if all of us continue to stick to these rules, then we will continue to see the progress that I have been reporting in recent days, and we will be able to come out of lockdown, hopefully even more quickly, but much more importantly than that, we will be able to do that sustainably, because we will come out of lockdown and continue to suppress this virus, which is our overall aim.

So thank you for everything you have been doing. Please keep doing it, so that together we can continue to make this life saving progress.

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.

Test and Protect

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman explains how we can all play our part in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19):

Test and Protect is NHS Scotland’s new approach to controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community.

The system will help to prevent you from spreading the virus, and protect the country from a second peak. But just like lockdown, it can only work if we all play our part.

From today, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change of taste or smell – you should immediately visit NHS Inform or call 0800 028 2816 if you can’t get online.

It is really important you do this as soon as you suspect you have symptoms. The quicker the NHS can tell if you have the virus, the better chance we all have of stopping it spreading.

When you contact the NHS you will be able to book a test at a mobile testing unit, a drive-through testing centre or order a home testing kit.

While you wait for that result, it is important that you and everyone in your household self –isolates.

If you test positive, you will need to self-isolate for 7 days, and your household for 14.

That has always been the case.  What’s new is that now, as we begin to ease some of the lockdown measures, in order to keep the virus suppressed, we will also need to trace your close contacts and advise them to isolate for 14 days, with support.

So if you get a positive test result you will be asked who you have been in close contact with. This includes people in your household, people you have had direct face to face contact with for any length of time, and those you have been within 2 metres of for 15 minutes or more.

This NHS system is entirely confidential, when the people you have been near are contacted they will not be told who it is that they have been in contact with. This information is only collected and used by NHS Scotland for the purposes of tracing your contacts. The Scottish Government will not have access to it.

If you receive a call or a message from a contact tracer to say you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, they will ask you to self-isolate immediately. It is hugely important you do this in order to stop the spread of the virus.

It is only by all playing our part, getting tested, providing information and agreeing to isolate, that we can cut the numbers of people getting the virus.

You can find guidance on the Scottish Government website to help you self-isolate, which includes advice on what to do if you care for someone who is shielding, and how you can access food and medicine. It’s also a good idea to take steps to ensure that you are prepared in advance, in case you are ever  asked to isolate.

For those who cannot leave their home and who cannot get the help they need from family, friends or online, the National Assistance Helpline (0800 111 4000) is available Monday to Friday, from 9.00 am 5.00 pm.

We have also published guidance for employers which makes clear that they should support anyone who  needs to self-isolate as part of Test and Protect. We are also working with the UK Government to ensure that people are fully protected by their employment rights and benefits, such as Statutory Sick Pay as a minimum.

Of course, the best way to avoid having to isolate, is to follow the rules on physical distancing and stay 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your own household.

Test and Protect will be part of all our lives for the foreseeable future, until we know we have fully suppressed the virus, or there is a treatment or a vaccine that we can be confident will protect people properly.

So as we slowly change the lockdown restrictions, for everyone to enjoy more freedoms, we must all play our part by isolating when we are asked to.

FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce the first steps on the road to a loosening of lockdown restrictions at lunchtime today.

Covid symptoms? Book a Test

Test and Protect – NHS Scotland’s approach to controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community – will be rolled out across all health boards from tomorrow (Thursday 28 May).

From that date, everyone aged five and over who has COVID-19 symptoms of a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell should go to NHS Inform online or call 0800 028 2816 to book a test.

Under the system, people will need to isolate with their household as soon as they have symptoms and, if they have a positive test result, they will be asked to provide details of all recent close contacts to NHS contact tracers.  Those people will be contacted and asked to isolate for 14 days.

As part of the roll out, guidance for individuals and employers has been published which sets out advice on what to do if someone is displaying symptoms or if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

It includes information on how to self-isolate safely as part of Test and Protect, what plans need to be made by households and families, and how to help older people or those with underlying health conditions.

Additional support for self-isolation is also being made available to those who need it through the National Assistance Helpline.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The aim of Test and Protect is to protect the public from spreading COVID-19 and to protect the country from a second peak.

“By ensuring those who may have come into contact with the virus take steps to isolate, we can break the chains of transmission and keep the virus suppressed whilst slowly changing lockdown measures.

“This approach can only work if we all play our part. From Thursday, we are asking everyone aged five and over who has COVID-19 symptoms – a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell – to book a test as soon as possible.

“It is important to do this as soon as symptoms are suspected. The quicker the virus can be identified, the better chance there is of stopping it spreading.

“It remains vital that alongside Test and Protect people continue to follow physical distancing advice and practise good hand and cough hygiene.”

Cllr Stuart Currie , COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “COVID-19 continues to have an impact on all of our daily lives and it is important that we carefully manage the transition out of lockdown. 

“That is why we welcome the Test and Protect guidance that has been co-produced by Scottish Government and NHS Scotland in partnership with Local Government.

“It is vital that people work together to follow this advice and self-isolate when required, not just for their own safety, but in order to protect others. Only by taking this approach will we be able to slow the spread of the virus.

“Local Government has already been at the forefront of efforts to support people during lockdown, providing essential services and assistance to the many people in Scotland who don’t have a network of support in place.  We will continue to support our communities by taking a central role in the delivery of Test and Protect.”

Guidance for the public, including a summary is available online along with guidance for employers. 

covid-19-test-trace-isolate-support-public-health-approach-maintaining-low-levels-community-transmission-covid-19-scotland

First Minister talks Test & Protect

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Tuesday 25 May):

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,185 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 29 from yesterday.

A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,589 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 18 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 –  that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2291.

Each one is an individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my gratitude – as I always do – to our health and care workers, for everything you are doing in such testing circumstances.

Today, I want to focus on the launch of NHS Scotland’s test, trace and isolate programme – Test and Protect – the logo for which you will see behind me.

From the end of this week, through Test and Protect, anyone who suspects they have Covid-19 will be tested.

If you test positive, your close contacts will be traced and advised to isolate for 14 days.

The aim of Test and Protect is to quickly identify cases of the virus and then act to break the chains of transmission.

On 4th May, we published our initial plans.

I can confirm today, that the system will go live in every one of Scotland’s 14 health board areas on Thursday.

Test and Protect will be an important tool in the months ahead – it will help us suppress the virus while we slowly ease lockdown restrictions. But it will only be effective if we all play our part.

So today I’ll set out what the capacity of the new system will be at the point of launch and how this will develop.

And I’ll set out how you as an individual, your household, your workplace and your employer can support us in making it work.

Firstly we said that to launch Test and Protect nationally we needed the ability to conduct over 15,000 tests a day.  I can confirm today that this capacity is now in place.

It will be delivered through a combination of NHS labs, academic partners, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow.

Secondly, we said we would enhance and extend use of the software that public health teams already use for contact tracing in relation to other infectious diseases.

That software has been piloted in Fife, Lanarkshire and Highland over the last week and I can confirm that it will be operational in every health board by Thursday.

Thirdly, we said that we’d aim to have 2000 contact tracers available by the end of this month.

Based on current demand estimates, we assess that around 700 will be needed in the early phase. However, I can confirm that by the end of the month we will have a pool of around 2000 to draw on if necessary.

This is a system that will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland. Over the first couple of weeks, it will need to bed down. But introducing it at the same time as we take the first cautious steps out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions at the next review date in 3 weeks.

Over the next few weeks, we will also add enhancements to the system.

As I said earlier, the technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start. But we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online.

We will also continue to build testing capacity and make access to testing more locally accessible. We will keep you updated on all of that.

Let me now outline what we are asking you, the public to do.

Let me stress that, just like lockdown, this is something that will only have the desired effect if we all do what is required. It can’t be seen as optional.

To make sure we all understand what is required, a public awareness campaign will start later this week. And during June, information will be delivered to every household across the country.

But let me set out the basics here.

Firstly, as of Thursday we are asking that if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – that is a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell – you take immediate steps to book a test.

Please don’t wait to see if you feel better after a day or two – time is of the essence, so get in touch as soon as you experience symptoms.

You should go to nhsinform.scot or, if you can’t get online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

Online you can ask for a test for yourself, or for someone else that you live with, and book it at one of the drive through testing centres or mobile testing units. For some, there will also be the option of a home testing kit. As I said earlier, in the coming weekswe will be working to further expand local access to testing.

If you can’t go online, you should call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. An adviser will then go through some questions with you, and book you in for a test.

While you wait for your test and the result, it is essential that you and your household self-isolate.  That means staying at home at all times – with the exception of going for the test. You shouldn’t go to the shops, out for exercise or to see anybody else.

In line with the current guidance, the person with symptoms should isolate for 7 days from the start of your symptoms.

Other members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days.  If any of them start to display symptoms during that time, they should also go through the testing process.

If your test comes back negative, you and your household can end your isolation.

However, if you are contacted to be told that you have tested positive, you will be asked at that stage for details of people that you have been in contact with.

The definition of a contact is people within your household, people you have had face to face contact with, and people who have been within two metres of for a period of 15 minutes or more.

I want to take the opportunity now to assure you that your privacy will be respected at all times during this process.

The information you provide will be held securely within the NHS and used only for the purposes of tracing your contacts.

It will not be used by the Scottish Government – indeed, we won’t have access to it. All the work of identifying and tracing contacts will be done within Scotland’s NHS.

Let me turn now to what to do if you receive a call from a contact tracer to say that you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

It is no exaggeration to say that how you – how any of us – respond will be vital in stopping the spread of the virus.

We will ask you to self-isolate immediately – the success of Test and Protect will really depend on all of us trusting this advice and, for the sake of ourselves and each other, agreeing to abide by it.

If you are at work, the advice will be to immediately head home, taking care to come into contact with as few people as possible.

We have published guidance this morning for employers, making clear they should support anyone who is asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect.

If you are well, and can work from home, then your employer will expect you to do so, but they should not ask you to go into work.

The Scottish Government is also in contact with the UK Government to ensure that employment rights and entitlement to benefits including statutory sick pay, take account of the fact that people may be off work or unable to attend appointments through no fault of their own.

We have also published today general advice for anyone who is asked to self-isolate. Remember that this is something over the months ahead that could happen to any of us – on more than one occasion.

This includes hygiene advice for your home, advice for other people in your household, what to do if you care for someone who is shielding or clinically vulnerable, and what to do if you need help accessing food and medicine or even accommodation. It also suggests how we can all make some preparations in advance.

Now, I know there’s a lot of information here to take in. But don’t worry, we will be taking steps to ensure everyone knows what we are asking you to do.

For now, let me leave you with these points.

Test and Protect is an important tool for us in the period ahead. The more effective it is, the more of the lockdown restrictions we will be able to lift.

However, it can’t do all the work of suppressing the virus. We will all continue to have a vital role to play in our everyday lives. That means even as we ease lockdown, physical distancing, good hygiene and following appropriate advice will continue to be essential.

And so too will all of us doing what is asked of us. Test and Protect will only work if we all come forward for testing when we have symptoms and if we all agree to self-isolate when asked.

And if the government steps up to give you the support you need to do so.

In short, Test and Protect will require exactly the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as lockdown has done.

It will be a collective national endeavour.

People will need the help of family, friends, colleagues and employers. Volunteers who have been supporting efforts to distribute food and care for the vulnerable through lockdown will have a valuable part to play in supporting people through Test and Protect. Government will have to ensure the right capacity, resources and support is in place.

And all of us will have to agree to make sacrifices for the common good – just as we have been doing.

In short, by agreeing that some of us will have to stay home at times – when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who tests positive – we can gradually move away from a situation where everyone has to stay home all of the time.

As I said earlier, we will make much more information available in the days and weeks to come.

But let me leave you with the most important message – from Thursday, if you have symptoms you should go online to NHS Inform or call NHS 0800 028 2816 0800 and book a test straight away.

And for now, all of us must continue to stick with lockdown measures.

So please, stay at home except for essential purposes.

When you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

You should wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space such as a shop or on public transport. This is one of the issues covered in the Transport Transition Plan that we will also publish later this afternoon.

You should also continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

And if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

At the moment, these actions are vital – to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again, for helping to do that.