Tag: UK Government

Prime Minister: ‘This is the moment we must act’

Coronavirus crisis: Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement to the House of Commons

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will make a statement on our response to the rising number of Coronavirus cases and how we must act now to avoid still graver consequences later on.

At every stage in this pandemic we have struck a delicate balance between saving lives by protecting our NHS and minimising the wider impact of our restrictions.

And it is because of the common sense and fortitude of the British people that earlier this year we were able to avert an even worse catastrophe, forming a human shield around our NHS, and then by getting our country moving again by reopening key sectors of our economy and returning children to school.

But we always knew that while we might have driven the virus into retreat, the prospect of a second wave was real. And I am sorry to say that – as in Spain and France and many other countries – we have reached a perilous turning point.

A month ago, on average around a thousand people across the UK were testing positive for Coronavirus every day. The latest figure has almost quadrupled to 3,929.

Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser warned that the doubling rate for new cases could be between seven and 20 days with the possibility of tens of thousands of new infections next month.

I wish I could reassure the House that the growing number of cases is merely a function of more testing, but a rising proportion of the tests themselves are yielding a positive result.

I also wish I could say that more of our people now have the antibodies to keep the virus off, but the latest data suggest that fewer than 8 per cent of us are in this position.

It is true that the number of new cases is growing fastest amongst those aged 20-29, but the evidence shows that the virus is spreading to other more vulnerable age groups, as we have seen in France and Spain where this has led to increased hospital admissions and, sadly, more deaths.

In the last fortnight, daily hospital admissions in England have more than doubled.

Tens of thousands of daily infections in October would, as night follows day, lead to hundreds of daily deaths in November and those numbers would continue to grow unless we act.

And as with all respiratory viruses, Covid is likely to spread faster as autumn becomes winter.

Yesterday, on the advice of the four Chief Medical Officers, the UK’s Covid alert level was raised from 3 to 4, the second most serious stage, meaning that transmission is high or rising exponentially.

So this is the moment when we must act.

If we can curb the number of daily infections, and reduce the Reproduction rate to 1, then we can save lives, protect the NHS, and the most vulnerable, and shelter the economy from the far sterner and more costly measures that would inevitably become necessary later.

So we are acting on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine.

The Government will introduce new restrictions in England, carefully judged to achieve the maximum reduction in the R number with the minimum damage to lives and livelihoods.

I want to stress that this is by no means a return to the full lockdown of March. We are not issuing a general instruction to stay at home.

We will ensure that schools, colleges and universities stay open – because nothing is more important than the education, health and well-being of our young people.

We will ensure that businesses can stay open in a Covid-compliant way.

However, we must take action to suppress the disease.

First, we are once again asking office workers who can work from home to do so.

In key public services – and in all professions where homeworking is not possible, such as construction or retail – people should continue to attend their workplaces.

And like Government, this House will be free to take forward its business in a Covid-secure way which you, Mr Speaker, have pioneered.

Second, from Thursday all pubs, bars and restaurants must operate table-service only, Mr Speaker, except for takeaways.

Together with all hospitality venues, they must close at 10pm.

To help the police to enforce this rule, I am afraid that means alas closing, and not just calling for last orders. Simplicity is paramount.

The same will apply to takeaways – though deliveries can continue thereafter.

I am sorry this will hurt many businesses just getting back on their feet, but we must act to stop the virus from being transmitted in bars and restaurants.

Third, we will extend the requirement to wear face coverings to include staff in retail, all users of taxis and private hire vehicles, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.

Fourth, in retail, leisure, tourism and other sectors, our Covid-secure guidelines will become legal obligations.

Businesses will be fined and could be closed if they breach these rules.

Fifth, now is the time to tighten up the rule of six. I’m afraid that from Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Though, up to 30 can still attend a funeral as now.

We will also have to extend the rule of six to all adult indoor team sports.

Finally, we have to acknowledge that the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events so we will not be able to do this from 1 October.

And I recognise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities, and my RH Friends the Chancellor and Culture Secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.

Mr Speaker, these rules measures will only work if people comply. There is nothing more frustrating for the vast majority, the law-abiding majority that do comply than the sight of a few brazenly defying the rules.

So these rules will be enforced by tighter penalties.

We have already introduced a fine of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self-isolate and such fines will now be applied to businesses breaking Covid rules.

The penalty for failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six will now double to £200 for a first offence.

We will provide the police and local authorities with the extra funding they need, a greater police presence on our streets, and the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police.

The measures I have announced all apply in England and the Devolved Administrations are taking similar steps.

I spoke yesterday with each of the First Ministers and again today and I thank them for their collaboration:

the health of everyone in these islands depends on our common success.

Already about 13 million people across England are living under various local restrictions, over and above national measures.

We will continue to act against local flare-ups, working alongside councils and strengthening measures where necessary. And I want to speak directly to those who were shielding early in the pandemic and may be anxious about being at greater risk. Following advice from our senior clinicians, our guidance continues to be that you do not need to shield – except in local lockdown areas – and we will keep this under constant review.

I must emphasise that if all our actions fail to bring the R below 1, then we reserve the right to deploy greater firepower, with significantly greater restrictions.

I fervently want to avoid taking this step, as do the Devolved Administrations, but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and our behaviour changes.

Mr Speaker, we will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments and new forms of mass-testing but unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will remain in place for perhaps six months.

For the time being, this virus is a fact of our lives and I must tell the House and the country that our fight against it will continue.

We will not listen to those who say let the virus rip; nor to those who urge a permanent lockdown; we are taking decisive and appropriate steps to balance saving lives with protecting jobs and livelihoods.

I know all of this will have profound consequences for our constituents, so the government will give the House every opportunity to scrutinise our decisions.

In addition to regular statements and debates, Hon Members will be able to question the government’s scientific advisers more regularly, gain access to data about their constituencies, your constituencies and join daily calls with my RH Friend the Paymaster General.

After six months of restrictions, it would be tempting to hope that the threat has faded, and seek comfort in the belief that if you have avoided the virus so far then you are somehow immune.

I have to say that it is that kind of complacency that could be our undoing.

If we fail to act together now we will not only place others at risk but jeopardise our own futures with the more drastic action that we would inevitably be forced to take.

Mr Speaker, no British government would wish to stifle our freedoms in the ways that we have found necessary this year. Yet even now we can draw some comfort from the fact that schools and universities and places of worship are staying open, shops can serve their customers, construction workers can go to building sites, and the vast majority of the UK economy can continue moving forwards.

We are also, Mr Speaker, better prepared for a second wave, with the ventilators, the PPE, the dexamethasone, the Nightingale Hospitals, and a hundred times as much testing.

So now it falls to each of us and every one of us to remember the basics – wash our hands, cover our faces, observe social distancing – and follow the rules.

Then we can fight back against this virus, shelter our economy from even greater damage, protect the most vulnerable in care homes and hospitals, safeguard our NHS and save many more lives.

And I commend this statement to the House.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address the Holyrood Pariament at 2:15pm.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on television tonight at 8:00pm

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will then address Scotland on television at 8:10pm.

COVID ALERT: UK MOVES TO LEVEL 4

The UK’s Chief Medical Officers issued a joint statement last night recommending that the UK COVID-19 alert level move from level 3 to level 4:

‘The Joint Biosecurity Centre has recommended that the COVID-19 alert level should move from level 3 (COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation) to level 4 (COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, transmission is high or rising exponentially).

‘The CMOs for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have reviewed the evidence and recommend all 4 nations of the UK should move to level 4.

‘After a period of lower COVID cases and deaths, the number of cases are now rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all 4 nations. If we are to avoid significant excess deaths and exceptional pressure in the NHS and other health services over the autumn and winter, everyone has to follow the social distancing guidance, wear face coverings correctly and wash their hands regularly.

‘We know this will be a concerning news for many people. Please follow the rules, look after each other and together we will get through this.’

Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty

Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Chris Jones

Earlier yesterday the Prime Minister had calls with the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about how coronavirus is spreading across the country.

During these calls, the Prime Minister made clear that the rising infection rates are a cause for great concern, which he is taking very seriously.

He reiterated his unwavering commitment to working with the devolved administrations as we continue to tackle the virus. They all agreed to act with a united approach, as much as possible, in the days and weeks ahead.

The Prime Minister invited the First Ministers and the deputy First Minister to attend a COBR this morning to discuss next steps for the country.

Further restrictions are expected to be announced later today.

FIRST MINISTER: ‘URGENT ACTION WILL NOW BE NEEDED’

‘Additional restrictions will almost certainly be put in place in Scotland over the next couple of days’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, this afternoon:

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us today. I am joined, as you can see, by the Chief Medical Officer and the National Clinical Director, and both of them will say a few words shortly.

I will start though with the usual run-through of the daily statistics in Scotland.

I can report that the total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 255. This represents 6.3% of people newly tested and takes the total number of cases now to 24,626.

The full regional breakdown will be published later, as it always is, but I can confirm now that 103 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 47 in Lanarkshire, and 30 in Lothian. 

The remaining 75 are spread across the remaining 8 mainland health boards, meaning that we have new cases again today in every mainland health board area.

I can also confirm that 73 people are in hospital – which is an increase of ten from yesterday.

And 8 people are in intensive care, which is one fewer than yesterday.

And finally, in the past 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient who first tested positive over the previous 28 days. It is however worth remembering that registration offices just now are closed over the weekend, so that is not surprising.

And of course since the last briefing, three additional deaths were registered on Friday, and reported in Saturday’s figures.

That means that the total number of deaths, under our daily measurement, is now 2,505.

And that is again a very sharp reminder of the impact that this virus has had and the impact it is still capable of having. And I want again today to pass on my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one throughout this pandemic, including obviously those whose loved ones’ deaths have been registered in more recent days.

Now the figures I have just reported reinforce something that has been evident now over recent days. Covid is spreading again in Scotland.

Now, because of our collective efforts over the summer, which suppressed the virus to very low levels, we are in a much stronger position than we would otherwise be – and it’s important not to forget that.

Those collective efforts also meant that many people who might otherwise have succumbed to this virus didn’t get it and therefore we collectively saved a lot of lives.

However, with the virus on the spread again – in Scotland, across the UK, across Europe, and indeed still accelerating in much of the world – doing nothing in the face of this quite rapid spread now is not an option.

I know that the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Advisor for England have just given a televised briefing (above) and Gregor and Jason may touch more on the data later on, but we would endorse the overall message that was being conveyed by Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty.

In Scotland, as across the UK, the R number – which remember is the number of people who will on average be infected by one infectious person – is again above one, and when that happens we know that the virus will begin to spread again.

The percentage of tests which are returning positive results has been increasing. And you will have heard that through our daily reports for the last few days.

At the weekend it was above 5% across the country.

Today – with the usual caveat about single day figures – it is 6.3%, and in some health boards it is even higher than that.

In addition, new cases are not confined now to just specific clusters – they are happening cross Scotland, and in particular across mainland Scotland, and we must take all of this very seriously.

Of course, on the other side of this equation, the number of cases is not rising as quickly as it was in the spring, and the percentage of positive tests, while rising, is nowhere near as high as it was back then – back in those days it was 20% or thereabouts.

In addition, we are not yet seeing an increase in hospital admissions on anything like the same scale that we saw back in the spring.

And that is partly because the highest proportion of new cases in recent weeks has been in in people under the age of 40.

However, we know that transmission in the community cannot rise indefinitely, without it starting to increasingly affect older people too. And we are now  an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital and in intensive care – albeit from a fairly low level. And if the number of new cases continues to rise, that rise will continue as well, and unfortunately we will also see the number of people dying increasing too.

In fact in many ways, as I indicated on Friday, the position Scotland is now in is similar to the position that for example France might have been in around 4 weeks ago. 

And we don’t want to reach the position that France is in now – with case levels more than 4 times higher than in Scotland, and with significant numbers of people now in hospital, intensive care, and with deaths rising.

We have of course in the last couple of weeks already taken a significant step by reducing the maximum size of household gatherings to six people, from two households.

However in my view, further and urgent action will now be needed to stop the increase in the number of cases.

I and my advisors have spent the weekend immersed in discussion and analysis, looking at a variety of options and considering carefully the impact that we judge these would have. These discussions are continuing throughout today, but we are very close to a point of decision.

And, at the heart of this decision is a simple truth: the longer we wait to introduce new measures, the longer these measures are likely to be in place.

If we move sharply now to get the virus back under control, we can minimise the time we all spend under any new restrictions.

If we wait, it will take longer – potentially a lot longer – to come out of the other side.

For that reason, as I indicated on Friday, we are preparing to introduce a package of additional measures with the intention of bringing the R number back below 1.

Now ideally, at least some of these decisions will be taken on a four nations basis, across the UK.

We all of course have our individual responsibilities and we will perhaps take decisions that are not entirely identical. But given that the virus does not respect borders, alignment if possible does make sense. And of course it is the UK Government that holds the financial levers necessary to mitigate the economic impact of any measures.

That’s why I asked on Friday for an urgent Cobra meeting – and repeated that call over the weekend. That call has been echoed in Wales and London.

I am therefore pleased that in a four nations call with Michael Gove on Saturday he confirmed that a Cobra will take place, although it is frustrating that we still don’t have a precise time for that and indeed don’t even have confirmation yet of whether that will take place today or tomorrow (UPDATE – COBRA meeting has now been confirmed for tomorrow morning).

I am however talking directly to the Prime Minister immediately after this press conference, and hopefully we will have greater clarity from that discussion.

In that call I will impress upon the Prime Minister my view that we need decisive, urgent, and – as far as possible given our individual responsibilities – coordinated action across the UK.

And I will be clear that I am willing to allow a bit more time for four nations discussions to take place before reaching final decisions for Scotland, but I be equally clear that the urgency of this situation means that we cannot, must not and will not wait too long.

The Scottish Cabinet will meet tomorrow to take stock – and I am very clear that it must be in a position to decide the way ahead for Scotland within the next 48 hours.

And I need to be absolutely straight with people across Scotland that additional restrictions will almost certainly be put in place in Scotland over the next couple of days.

Hopefully this will be with four nations alignment, but if necessary it will have to happen without that.#

I intend to make a full statement to parliament later this  week – tomorrow or Wednesday I hope – to outline the steps that the Government has decided are necessary and to set out the rational for them.

Whatever else we decide, one thing I want to confirm today is that our package of measures will include plans to better support people who are being advisd to self-isolate.

Self-isolation is a key tool in our fight against this this virus – it helps us break the chains of transmission – so we must make it as possible as we can for people to abide by that advice.

We have, and will continue to consider, whether the UK Government approach of imposing potentially large fines for non-compliance with self-isolation is appropriate. But, while we will keep enforcement options under review, we do have a concern about potential disincentives of fines and enforcement to people getting tested.

Our view is that it is better to remove barriers to self-isolation. I believe that people understand the need to keep others safe and may want to do so, but they need to be supported through these difficult circumstances.

So I can confirm today that we will be putting in place a financial support package to help people – particularly those on low incomes – who face a loss of income if they are required isolate.

Nobody should be forced to choose between self-isolating for the collective good, and paying their rent and feeding their families. If that’s the choice that people face, then it shouldn’t be a surprise to us that compliance levels will be lower than we need them to be.

Now, the details of that package are being worked through at present, and we also await information from the UK Government on additional Barnett consequentials as a result of announcements made by them over the weekend.

The last thing that I wanted to touch on briefly today, given that I mentioned this on Friday, is that on Friday I indicated that I would confirm today whether we were going to exempt children under 12 from the current two household rule – as you’ll recall children under 12 don’t count towards the limit of six but do count towards the two households.

However, given the more fundamental decisions may well be taken this week I’ve decided to consider this issue in that wider context and I will cover it in the statement I make to Parliament later in the week.

Now I’m going to hand over to the Chief Medical Officer and to the National Clinical Director in a moment. But I want to end by stressing two things.

First, this is a serious moment again for the country. We cannot allow cases to continue rising. Those who say that we should just allow this virus to do what it does – the so-called ‘herd immunity’ argument – I don’t agree with that.

We know this virus can take life, particularly of older and vulnerable people, but we also know this virus can have serious health implications for younger, healthier people. It’s not a virus we can be complacent about allowing people to get. So this is a moment for us to take action.

But secondly, and it’s a point I made earlier on, we must understand that we are in a different and better position than we were in March. Cases are not rising as fast, we have a better idea of the settings which pose the main risk of transmission, and Test and Protect – despite the volume of cases we’ve had recently – is managing well.

And because of this – and despite the temptations for shorthand – we shouldn’t frame the decisions we face this week in the language of lockdown or not lockdown. Implementing further measures now is very much, I hope, about controlling this virus while avoiding the need for another full-scale lockdown of the type that we had to impose in March.

And lastly, let’s not forget that all of us have the ability to make a difference now. None of us as individuals are powerless in the face of this virus. We can make choices and decisions which increase our own chances of staying safe, and which also help to keep people around us safe as well.

So please, I’m asking everybody to think carefully about what you can do as an individual to play your part in this collective action that we need to take – which Scotland is only one country of many across the globe that are having to consider these actions.

So please, work from home if you are able to do so. It has been and continues to be the Scottish Government advice to work from home if it is possible. We are not, and haven’t, been advising you to go back to the office if you are able to work from home.

Secondly, download the Protect Scotland app. That seems like a small thing to do but it is a really powerful thing to do because it helps us widen the net of people who can be contacted and advised to self-isolate if they have been exposed to this virus.

More than a million people have downloaded it already – it can make a difference at those levels, but it will make a bigger difference if more of us do it.

Thirdly, limit your travel and social interactions as much as you reasonably can.

The current rules on gatherings –  six people, from two households – see that as a maximum. Limit how many people you see in one day or over a small number of days.

And of course, if you live in Glasgow; East or West Dunbartonshire; Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire; North or South Lanarkshire right now, please don’t visit other households at all. 

And finally, when you are meeting and interacting with other people – which we all have to do to some extent notwithstanding that need to limit it – when you are interacting, please remember to follow the FACTS advice. If we all follow these five golden rules, we minimise and limit the opportunities the virus has to transmit from person to person, or household to household. So please, remember::

  • the F – wear Face coverings in enclosed spaces
  • the A is Avoid crowded places – wherever they might be, indoors or outdoors
  • C – Clean your hands regularly, clean hard surfaces that you’re touching
  • T – keep Two metres distance from people in other households
  • and S – Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.

If we all do all of these things then we are all individually helping this collective effort to keep this virus under control, and allow us to retain as much normality in our lives, notwithstanding the restrictions all countries are having to operate in right now as we possibly can.

My thanks again to everybody for joining us, please spread the word that you hear at these briefings as widely as you possibly can.

I’m going to ask the Chief Medical Officer to say a few words now, then the National Clinical Director, and then as normal we will take questions but we wanted to make sure that you heard – not just from me today – but from the Government’s chief clinical advisors as well.

Carrot and stick measures to be introduced to encourage self-isolation in England

New package announced to support and enforce self-isolation

People in England will be required by law to self-isolate from 28 September, supported by payment of £500 for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result.

New fines for those breaching self-isolation rules will start at £1,000 – bringing this in line with the penalty for breaking quarantine after international travel – but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches, including for those preventing others from self-isolating.

For example, this could include business owners who threaten self-isolating staff with redundancy if they do not come to work, sending a clear message that this will not be tolerated.

A number of steps will be taken to make sure that people are complying with the rules, these include:

  • NHS Test and Trace call handlers making regular contact with those self-isolating, with the ability to escalate any suspicion of non-compliance to Local Authorities and local police;
  • Using police resources to check compliance in highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups, based on local intelligence;
  • Investigating and prosecuting high-profile and egregious cases of non-compliance; and
  • Acting on instances where third parties have identified others who have tested positive, but are not self-isolating.

Recognising that self-isolation is one of the most powerful tools for controlling the transmission of Covid-19, this new Test and Trace Support payment of £500 will ensure that those on low incomes are able to self-isolate without worry about their finances.

Just under 4 million people who are in receipt of benefits in England will be eligible for this payment, which will be available to those who are required to self-isolate from 28 September.

Local Authorities will be working quickly to set up these self-isolation support schemes and we expect them to be in place by 12 October. Those who start to self-isolate from 28 September will receive backdated payments once the scheme is set up in their Local Authority.

This financial support comes as the government places a legal requirement on people to self-isolate when instructed to by NHS Test and Trace and introduces tougher fines for breaking the rules.

Many people are following the rules around self-isolation, but these steps will make sure more do and help ensure the public do not unknowingly spread the virus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they’re at risk of passing on coronavirus. And so nobody underestimates just how important this is, new regulations will mean you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus or have been asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace.

“People who choose to ignore the rules will face significant fines. We need to do all we can to control the spread of this virus, to prevent the most vulnerable people from becoming infected, and to protect the NHS and save lives.

“And while most people are doing their absolute level best to comply with the rules, I don’t want to see a situation where people don’t feel they are financially able to self-isolate.

“That’s why we’re also introducing a new £500 Test and Trace Support payment for those on low incomes who are required by NHS Test and Trace to remain at home to help stop the spread of the virus.”

UK ON BRINK OF SECOND WAVE

PM Boris Johnson warns of further measures following rapid rise in coronvirus cases

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will spend the weekend considering whether to tighten Covid-19 measures further, after saying the UK was “now seeing a second wave”.

Speaking during a visit to a Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre construction site near Oxford, Mr Johnson said: “There’s no question, as I’ve said for several weeks now, that we could expect – and are now seeing – a second wave coming in.

“We are seeing it in France, in Spain, across Europe – it has been absolutely, I’m afraid, inevitable we were going to see it in this country.”

The government is now looking at a ban on households in England mixing, and reducing opening hours for pubs and restaurants and is considering the introduction of a nationwide ‘circuit break’ to halt the spread of the virus.

At least 13.5 million people – around one in five of the UK population – are already facing local restrictions, including a swathe of the West of Scotland. The latest area to be added is the North West of England, which will see new measures introduced on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister only has direct power over restrictions in England, however, and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can set their own rules. They are urging the PM to call an emergency COBRA meeting over the weekend to agree a coordinated approach to address the latest surge.

Coronavirus cases are now doubling everTy seven to eight days, with 4,322 confirmed cases yesterday – the highest daily total of positive tests 8 May.

Mr Johnson said he did not “want to go into bigger lockdown measures” but that tighter social distancing rules might be necessary.

He added: “Clearly when you look at what is happening, you have got to wonder whether we need to go further than the rule of six that we brought in on Monday.”

Scotland’s Firt Minister Ms Sturgeon said the next few days would be “critical” to avoid another full-scale lockdown in Scotland.

New restrictions for North East England as infection rates rise

  • Parts of the North East of England escalated to an area of intervention
  • New restrictions introduced across the region to curb rising infection rates, agreed in collaboration with local leaders
  • Regulations and guidance came into force at midnight

Following further discussions with local leaders, the Health and Social Care Secretary, NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), and the Chief Medical Officer for England have agreed to escalate parts of the North East – namely, Northumberland, North Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and County Durham – to areas of national intervention.

From today – Friday 18 September – regulations have banned the following:

  • residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens
  • hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only
  • late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm to 5am

Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:

  • not to socialise with other people outside of their own households in all public venues.
  • only to use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work
  • take holidays only within your own household or support bubble
  • avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators

The changes come as cases in the North East have risen to the second highest in England, after the North West. The decision was made in close collaboration with local leaders.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “After seeing cases in the North East rise to a concerning level, local authorities requested support for tighter restrictions and we have taken swift action to accept their recommendations.

“We do not take these decisions lightly but I know the people of the North East will work together and break the chains of transmission.

“I urge those from affected areas: please, get a test if you are symptomatic, stay at home if you are required to self-isolate, and think: hands, face, space. This is the only way for us to return to a more normal way of life and avoid further restrictions.”

These changes are in addition to the nationwide 6-person limit on social gatherings that came into force on Monday. This rule is in place across the country and will sit alongside additional restrictions in some local areas.

Public Health England, the JBC and NHS Test and Trace are constantly monitoring the levels of infection and other data on prevalence of the virus across the country. As has always been the case, measures are kept under constant review to reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the world has now surpassed 30 million, according to latest figures from USA’s Johns Hopkins University.

More than 940,000 have died with Covid-19 since the outbreak began in China late last year.

The worst hit nations are the US, India and Brazil – but the infection is on the rise again across Europe, with some spikes close to home (above).

Impact of furlough

Extension of scheme could save thousands of jobs – but UK Government says no

Extending the furlough scheme by eight months could save 61,000 jobs in Scotland, according to new research.

A Scottish Government report estimates that the direct cost of extending the furlough scheme in Scotland to June is around £850 million – and wider economic benefits, such as increasing GDP, mean that it could pay for itself.

It comes as the Business Impact of COVID-19 Statistics, also published today, found that of all Scottish firms surveyed, over two thirds were still furloughing their workforce to some extent. The new data also estimated 15% of the workforce were still on furlough.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The UK Government must think again about withdrawing blanket support and they must urgently implement some form of extension which would continue to provide help for the sectors that have been most heavily affected.

“Extending the Job Retention Scheme for eight months would save 61,000 jobs in Scotland and help secure a stronger economic recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19). Unlike the Scottish Government, the UK Government has the borrowing powers necessary to fund the extension of the Job Retention Scheme and they must act now to protect jobs and livelihoods.

“New furlough statistics for Scotland published today show wide variation between different sectors of the economy. Even though in some sectors a significant number of people have gone back to work, the outlook is much bleaker in other sectors. In accommodation and food services an estimated 34.4% of staff were still on furlough, and this rises to 57.5% of staff in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector. 

“Of course, the furlough scheme cannot continue indefinitely, but an extension would help keep people in jobs while sectors of the economy currently unable to fully open recover and will lead to sustained economic benefits at a relatively small cost.”

Read the COVID-19: Analysis of Extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Read the Business Impact of COVID-19 Statistics

Alister Jack responds to September Labour Market figures

The latest quarterly Scottish Government Workforce Information statistics have been published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. These statistics cover the numbers of workers, staff sickness rates, and the diversity of staff up to the most recent quarter ending June 2020.

The statistics show that:

  • At the end of June 2020 there were 7,119 full time equivalent (FTE) directly employed staff, an increase of 627 on last year’s figure of 6,492 at the end of June 2019. The percentage of directly employed staff in permanent (98%) and temporary (2%) categories remained the same as last year.
  • There was an 8.3% increase in the number (headcount) of contingent (non-directly employed) workers. An increase of 111 workers, from 1332 at the end of June 2019 to 1443 at the end of June 2020.
  • The staff sickness level was 7.4 average working days lost (AWDL) per staff year in the 12 month period ending June 2020, compared with 7.7 AWDL for the same period last year. This equates to a loss of 3.3% of working days in the 12 month period ending June 2020
  • Just over half (53.6%) of the workforce were female, compared to 46.4% male. The proportion of female staff is similar to the same period last year (52.7% in June 2019).
  • At the end of June 2020, the majority of staff were aged between 30 and 59, broken down as follows: 16-29 (17.4%), 30-39 (24.3%), 40-49 (27.0%), 50-59 (25.0%), 60 or over (6.2%).
  • The proportion of directly employed staff providing diversity information on sexual orientation, disability and religion or belief has increased since the same period last year.

Responding to yesterday’s Labour Market Statistics, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “These figures are continuing to show the effect of the pandemic on jobs in Scotland, and the impact on individuals and families across the country. The UK Government has done everything possible to support people through this difficult time.

“Through the furlough scheme, the UK Government has supported more than 930,000 Scottish jobs, a third of the workforce, and we are taking decisive action though our ambitious Plan for Jobs.

“We have launched the £2 billion Kick Start scheme to create thousands of high quality jobs for young people, are doubling the number of work coaches to help people find work and are bringing in a £1,000 job retention bonus to help employers bring back as many furloughed workers as possible.”

The UK Government has loaned £2.3 billion to 65,000 Scottish businesses, put in place VAT cuts for hospitality and tourism businesses, and 6.3 million discounted meals were eaten at 8,543 establishments across Scotland as part of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme in August.

Holyrood commitee seeks views on UK’s Internal Market Bill

Holyrood’s Finance & Constitution Committee has launched a call for views on the UK Government’s controversial Internal Market Bill, which was was introduced at Westminster on 9 September.

According to its explanatory notes, the purpose of the Bill is to “preserve the UK internal market, providing continued certainty for people and businesses to work and trade freely across the whole of the UK.”

All parts of the Bill trigger the need for legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament – but the Scottish Government has indicated it will not recommend that consent be given.

The Finance & Constitution Committee is therefore seeking views from all interested organisations and individuals to help inform its parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill and of the Scottish Government’s legislative consent memorandum.

The deadline for submissions is 24 September 2020.

Finance & Constitution Committee Convener Bruce Crawford MSP said: “The creation of a UK internal market and how it operates will impact on a wide range of Scottish organisations, including Scottish businesses – especially food production and agriculture, environmental and consumer organisations, as well as the third and voluntary sector and the wider public.

“It is vital therefore that we hear from people who are going to be affected by this Bill, but we only have until 24 September to do so. This is time critical.”

The Committee is scrutinising the UK Internal Market Bill as well as the forthcoming Legislative Consent Memorandum.

In order to inform its scrutiny, the Committee is seeking views, especially in the following areas:

Oral evidence on the Bill will begin later this month.

How the UK Internal Market Bill will help to boost the Scottish Economy

Scotland Secretary Alister Jack’s has written to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, about the UK Internal Market Bill:

11 September 2020

Dear Nicola,

I am writing to correct the false claims you have made about the UK Government’s Internal Market Bill, introduced to Parliament on Wednesday, 9 September.

As we’ve been clear, the Bill will protect and strengthen our internal market which is so vital to Scotland’s economy with 60 per cent of our exports, worth over £50 billion per year, going to other parts of the United Kingdom.

It will also create new opportunities for the UK Government, working with the Scottish Government, local authorities and other partners, to invest in Scotland.

That’s why I have described the Bill as a win-win for Scotland.

It is good for business, jobs and consumers. It will boost our economy and help us rebuild from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bill has now begun its passage through Parliament and will be debated at length in the weeks ahead.

In accordance with the Sewel Convention, the UK Government will seek a Legislative Consent Motion so the Scottish Parliament, also, will have the opportunity to consider our proposals.

Before this takes place, I wish to correct a series of assertions you have made about the Bill.

1. You have said the Bill will lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of food standards and environmental protections. That is emphatically not the case.

The UK is a world leader in food and environmental standards and that will not change.

Also, as you know, the UK Government and all devolved administrations have agreed a common framework on food and feed safety and hygiene law which clearly sets out the ‘rules and regulations related to the production and distribution of food and feed’. Guaranteeing our shared commitment to high standards across the UK.

The UK Government is proud of our record and keenly aware of the premium our high standards place on UK goods in overseas markets.

2. Similarly, your speculation that Scotland could be ‘forced to accept chlorinated chicken’ is unfounded.

As we have previously reminded Scottish Government ministers during discussions about the Bill, chlorine washed chicken is illegal in the UK. The UK Government has been clear we will not sign a trade deal that would compromise our high standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.

Of course, we recognise and welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to high standards in these areas. Our shared view should be the basis of an agreed UK approach to high standards.

3. You also claimed the new spending power contained in the Bill could divert funding from schools and hospitals in Scotland. This is not the case.

Education and health are – and will continue to be – devolved to the Scottish Parliament and decisions on funding in those areas are for your Government to take. Scotland’s block grant is at a record level and the Barnett Formula will continue to operate as set out in the Statement on Funding Policy.

The UK Government’s spending power set out in the Bill will complement existing Scottish Government spending powers. This can only be a benefit to the people and businesses of Scotland.

They will enable us to spend money previously controlled by the EU to make strategic investments of UK-wide importance.

This is good news for the communities we serve and I am confident these new opportunities will be warmly welcomed by the people of Scotland.

4. You claim the Bill, had it been in place at the time, would have prohibited the Scottish Parliament from legislating to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. Again – as we have already made clear to Scottish Government ministers – this is incorrect.

Under the terms of the Bill, the Scottish Parliament would be able to introduce a minimum alcohol price provided, of course, it was not applied only to alcoholic drinks produced in certain parts of the UK.

5. You claim the Bill is ‘a naked power grab’ and ‘an attack on the powers of devolution’. It is not.

The Scottish Parliament will lose none of its existing powers. Indeed, as powers return from Brussels when we leave the Transition Period at the end of the year, scores of new responsibilities will flow to Holyrood.

It should be noted that your Government’s ambition to take Scotland out of the UK and into the EU would remove these powers from the Scottish Parliament. That is the only threat to Holyrood’s powers.

6. Finally, you claim the Bill would ‘break’ or ‘cripple’ devolution.

I’m afraid your Government is never less convincing than when it purports to champion a system it unashamedly wishes to overthrow.

Independence would destroy devolution, ending our system of two governments which was backed overwhelmingly by the people of Scotland in the referendums of 1997 and 2014.

The UK Government emphatically supports devolution and our Bill will strengthen the Scottish Parliament and create new opportunities for Scotland.

Your colourful description of the Internal Market Bill as ‘an abomination’ is deeply regrettable.

In my view, it would be abominable for the people of Scotland to be misinformed about a Bill which has such potential to improve lives and strengthen our country.

THE RT HON. ALISTER JACK MP SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has since written to the UK Government voicing concern at its plans for a post-Brexit internal market, saying it represents a threat to the Scottish economy.

Ms Hyslop said the proposed Internal Markets Bill will jeopardise Scotland’s food and drink sector, which has a world-renowned reputation for high standards and high quality products.

She also highlighted how the Bill will undermine the good progress made on common frameworks, the preferred means of managing policy difference across the UK when EU rules no longer apply. 

Last month the Scottish Parliament considered the original proposals set out in the UK Government White Paper and voted overwhelmingly – by 92 votes to 31 – to reject them.

In her letter to Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Ms Hyslop said:

“Coronavirus (COVID-19) is clearly currently the biggest challenge for business and the economy. Unnecessary legislation, which undermines devolution, on top of an entirely unnecessary end to the Brexit transition period will do nothing to protect or promote trade across the UK and beyond.

“If this legislation were already in place, Scotland would not have been able to lead the way on the ban on smoking in public, on introducing minimum unit pricing for alcohol, having rules on the marketing of raw milk consistent with the nature of the dairy sector in Scotland, or taking forward bans on the sale of plastic-stemmed cotton buds and microbeads in cosmetics.

“A linked concern is the prospect of the UK entering into future international trade agreements which might result in lower standard products being accepted into UK markets. Scotland’s world-leading food and drink sector, for example, is built on a reputation for the highest quality produce and nothing should be done to put that at risk.”