So what’s the plan?
The elderly: How do we combat loneliness amongst pensioners in lockdown? Universities: How do you avoid a second outbreak after Christmas? Retail: How can the spread of the virus be stopped during the Christmas rush to the shops once lockdown ends? Hos
NICOLA Sturgeon is facing a series of tough questions about planning a future response to the coronavirus pandemic as half of Scots face life under almost total lockdown from tomorrow.
The First Minister has revealed the move to place 11 council areas into Tier Four for three weeks is to help pave the way for an easing of restrictions over the festive period and allow families to be together.
But questions are now being asked about a lack of preparation for the aftermath of lockdown, which will end just two weeks before Christmas Day, and how to prevent the virus spreading again.
Concerns have been raised about the virus spreading as larger numbers than normal head to shops when they re-open in three weeks and thousands of students travel across the country to go home before returning again in January.
Teaching unions are also reiterating fears over schools remaining open in Tier Four as thousands of pupils and staff are already at home self-isolating after positive tests on many campuses.
In addition, many cancer patients have missed out on diagnoses due to NHS services being restricted during the previous lockdown, with charities now asking for the health service to be properly prepared to cope.
Meanwhile, the hospitality sector is warning it faces decimation as businesses are forced to close until into the new year, with many saying they will now shut permanently. And finally, age charities are also warning about the impact of the lockdown on the elderly at home on their own and are asking for a national action plan to be set up.
Yesterday, Universities Minister Richard Lochhead said no decision has been taken by the Scottish Government as to whether all students will return to campuses after the Christmas break.
The Scottish Government has drawn up a plan to allow all students who want to return home for the festive break to do so – with a staggered end to the term and asymptomatic testing for all learnings to be put in place.
But Mr Lochhead has been accused of being “unprepared” for the inevitable and having “no plan to avoid the same mistakes” that took place when students returned in September.
Matt Crilly, president of National Union of Students Scotland, has also called for “a clear strategy for January return”, adding the organisation will “continue to call for online learning to be the default position where possible”.
It comes amid a growing crisis with cancer treatment after a huge drop in the number of people diagnosed following the introduction of the initial lockdown restrictions.
New Public Health Scotland figures indicate cancer diagnoses confirmed through a tissue sample fell by around 4,000 between March and June compared to the previous year, a drop of about 40 per cent.
Macmillan head of policy in Scotland Kate Seymour said: “The Scottish Government must ensure the cancer care system has the resources to diagnose and treat thousands of additional people, many of whom may have more advanced cancers than would normally be expected due to the delays”
Age Scotland is estimating 100,000 of the country’s 350,000 pensioners ate their festive meal by themselves last year, with the charity claiming this was already the equivalent of one person in every street. Adam Stachura, the head of policy and communications at the charity, spoke about the “devastating” impact the virus has had on the older generation and called for an “action plan for winter” so older people can be supported during this difficult period.
Hotels in Scotland also warn they face being forced to shut their doors until well into the new year due to travel restrictions and alcohol bans with many closing for good.
Liz Cameron, director of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “I’m not convinced that this constant closing businesses down is the answer, because it is quite clear where the pinch-points in the growth of the virus are, and that is in the home environment.”
FAMILIES in Scotland could be allowed to form social bubbles – or “baubles” – to enable them to get together over the festive season.
Nicola Sturgeon said the idea is one among others being discussed as part of efforts to temporarily loosen rules over Christmas.
The First Minister also raised hopes that Hogmanay could be covered by any changes.
She said: “I want people to have the ability to see loved ones at Christmas. I want to see loved ones at Christmas.
“And we’re determined to try to make that possible.”
However, Dr Susan Hopkins, a senior medical adviser to the UK Government’s Covid-19 response, suggested tougher restrictions could be needed either side of Christmas if curbs are to be eased over the festive period.
She told a Downing Street briefing that “some of the Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) advice previously suggested that for every day we release we will need five days of tighter restrictions”.
Latest figures revealed 3,377 people have now died from coronavirus in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon called the figures “really grim and distressing”.
She added: “Sometime in the future when we are through this pandemic we will want to consider how we as a country commemorate the lives that the virus has taken.”
She said 54 coronavirus deaths and 1,264 positive tests were recorded in the past 24 hours under the daily measurement.
More than two million people in west central Scotland, including in Glasgow and its surrounding areas, will enter near-lockdown tomorrow at 6pm.
Ms Sturgeon previously said the tough, three-week restrictions will help suppress the virus ahead of Christmas and the winter period.
UK ministers are reportedly considering loosening rules over a fiveday period starting on Christmas Eve.
Asked about this during her coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon said four-nation discussions are ongoing.
She said: “We are all desperate for some normality at Christmas, and I absolutely include myself in that.
“The Scottish Government right now is working very closely and well with the other UK nations to try to agree a way for that to happen.
“We want to have the same position across the UK, given the family patterns that exist.”
Ms Sturgeon said it was important to reduce the prevalence of the virus ahead of Christmas.
She later added: “In general terms, yes I do think at Christmas it is important that, rather than leave people with restrictions that are so tight that many people will try to get round [them] in order to see loved ones at Christmas, it is better to do what we’ve tried to do all along and treat people like grown ups, and say, OK, here is perhaps a bit of leeway that as long as we all behave responsibly within, allows us to have some time with loved ones at Christmas.
“What the parameters are around that, what the numbers around that are – there are no decisions.
“But we do want to allow people – and it will be within limits, undoubtedly – to see people that right now they’re not able to see because of the very strict ban on household mixing.”
Ms Sturgeon said she believed the vast majority of people would try to stick within the rules.
However she stressed the risks need to be mitigated.
She said: “The lower we can get infection levels now, the fewer people going into Christmas will have this virus, so the lower your chance will be that one of your relatives coming to your house for Christmas Day, maybe, will have it and pass it on.”
Asked if it was possible families could be allowed to mix freely by forming a social “bubble”, she said: “Yes, that’s possible, but that is not the same as saying that’s been decided – the idea of a bubble, or bauble, is maybe a more appropriate way of articulating it at Christmas. These are the kind of things that we’re discussing and trying to come to a sensible view on.”
Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to be able to give people “clear advice” once the details have been decided.
Elsewhere, she said Hogmanay is also very important in Scotland.
She added: “We do have to take that into account in our planning and remember that we need to think across the whole festive period.”
It came as charity bosses warned of an exponential rise in the number of older Scots eating their Christmas dinner alone this year.
Age Scotland estimated 100,000 of the country’s 350,000 pensioners ate their festive meal by themselves last year, with the charity claiming this was already the equivalent of one person in every street.
Adam Stachura, the head of policy and communications at the charity, spoke about the “devastating” impact coronavirus has had on the older generation.
An “action plan for winter” is needed, he said, so older people can be supported during this difficult period.
He told MSPS on Holyrood’s Covid19 Committee that the figure for those being alone this Christmas “we imagine will increase exponentially”.
Elsewhere, a study found just over 0.2 per cent of pupils tested positive for coronavirus in the first nine weeks of the school term restarting in
Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon said the findings reinforced her view that the benefits of re-opening schools outweigh the risks of increasing transmission rates.
Public Health Scotland found 1,621 positive cases were linked to schoolchildren, with 1,021 of those in secondary schools. More than threequarters of schools did not have any recorded cases during the time period.
Yesterday, the NASUWT teaching union said smaller class sizes and blended learning should be considered for areas going into level four restrictions.
Ms Sturgeon said she did not “dismiss” the concerns of teaching unions, but added: “Out of 700,000 school pupils, 1,600 cases were positive. That’s not no cases, and I’m not saying there’s zero risk of transmission, but it puts it into some kind of context and perspective.”
But we do want to allow people – and it will be within limits, undoubtedly – to see people that right now they’re not able to see