Chamber and committees

First, although I absolutely acknowledge that many of them do not like that face coverings have to be worn in classrooms, I think, nevertheless, that most parents and young people understand the reasons for it.

It is not the case—it is a mischaracterisation of the position to say that it is—that wearing of face coverings is “indefinite”. We do not want that to be in place for longer than is necessary; however, while it is necessary, it is an important protection. I said in my statement that we are monitoring case numbers and other relevant information weekly.

On why the position changed, I note that, at the start of October, the draft guidance, informed by the education advisory sub-group, was put together in the way that Oliver Mundell quoted. Of course, back then, cases were declining. Since then, as I have set out fully today, cases plateaued but have now started to increase slightly again. It was in that light that we considered the matter further, with full input from the chief medical officer, and considered that it is an appropriate precautionary measure to keep the mitigations in place for the time being.

We will consider the situation on an on-going weekly basis; as soon as it is considered prudent to do so, the mitigations will be removed. I think that everybody would agree that, when it is safe, one of the first mitigations that we want to remove is the requirement for young people to wear face coverings in classrooms.

Those in the over-70 age group are being vaccinated—and many of them have already been vaccinated—with boosters. Those who have not yet had a booster will be vaccinated between now and early November. In total, more than half a million people have had the vaccine boosters, and people who are aged over 70 are being prioritised. Some of those who are aged between 60 and 69 have also started to receive letters.

In all the important discussions about booster vaccinations today, I want to make it very clear that, although there will, no doubt, continue to be questions and people will push us to go faster—and rightly so—there is probably no single bigger responsibility on the shoulders of Government right now than to get the booster programme delivered as quickly as possible. It is the biggest protection that we will have over the winter months, and I assure everyone that the greatest possible priority is being given to it.

It is of course entirely safe to have the Covid booster and the flu vaccine co-administered; it would not be happening if that was not the clear clinical advice, and it is allowing us to make sure that both those vaccination programmes happen as quickly as possible.

I have certainly had contacts to the effect that some people have been slightly concerned that their flu vaccine may be a couple of weeks later this year than in previous years because of the attempt that is under way to co-administer and not to call people twice. As I did in my statement, I reassure people that, given the timeframe of winter flu, the clear advice is that the timing of flu vaccinations is clinically appropriate. I therefore advise people that, as soon as they are invited to come forward, and if they are offered flu and Covid vaccinations in the same appointment, they should, please, make sure that they take that up.

We want everybody to get vaccinated with both the Covid vaccine and the flu vaccine. I am not a clinician but, if there is a good reason or a good clinical reason why somebody cannot do that, we will, of course, want to facilitate the vaccines being given separately. However, I also say to people—I hope that Stephen Kerr will assist with this—that, as Emma Harper has just highlighted, it is clinically safe to have the vaccinations together, and our strong advice is that people should have them together. That is the quickest way of getting everybody who is eligible vaccinated. I hope that that message goes out loudly and clearly, but I also hear the other message. If there are good reasons why that cannot happen, we have to facilitate the vaccines being given in other ways.

Presiding Officer, I join you in sending my condolences to the family, friends, constituents and colleagues of Sir David Amess. Since his death, we have heard many moving tributes to Sir David from across the political spectrum. Together, they speak to what has been lost: a good and decent man and a thoughtful and dedicated MP, who served his constituents faithfully for almost four decades.

The fact that Sir David was killed while serving his constituents adds an extra dimension to a crime that would have been unspeakable in any circumstances. Because of that, it is a tragedy that all of us who are in elected office have been shaken by—as, indeed, we were by the dreadful murder of Jo Cox MP. No parliamentarian or councillor, nor anyone who works with us, should ever face the threat of violence as we represent our constituents. There are serious issues to be confronted about the security of elected politicians and our staff; I know that the corporate body is considering those, in consultation with parties, which is of vital importance.

Nevertheless, I suspect that we are united across the chamber in our determination not to let our democracy be undermined by those who commit heinous crimes or acts of terror. In the democracy that we all cherish, politicians must be accessible. For all of us, meeting our constituents face to face is not just a duty; it is a privilege and is often one of the real joys of the work that we do. That has come across vividly in the many tributes to Sir David.

His death, devastating though it is for all the people who loved him—and, indeed, for our society as a whole—must not diminish our efforts to represent our constituents. Instead, his life and his example should inspire us, as we rededicate ourselves to the idea that politics and public service can be a force for good. It should remind us that parliamentarians here, across the United Kingdom and beyond often have more that unites than we have that divides us. All of us are passionate about serving the people whom we represent. All of us want to create a better society. If we can remember and summon that sense of common purpose more often, even in the heat of a debating chamber, it will improve politics in Scotland and elsewhere and would, I think, be a fitting further legacy of Sir David’s distinguished life and career.

In giving an update on the latest Covid situation, I will provide an assessment of the current course of the pandemic. In light of that, I confirm that no immediate changes are being proposed to the mitigations that remain in place. I will also report on the vaccination programme’s progress and provide a brief update on international travel. Lastly, I will summarise the mitigations that are being deployed to minimise the risks of transmission at or around the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26.

First, I will give the most recent statistics. Yesterday, 2,262 positive cases were reported, which is 11.5 per cent of all the tests that were conducted. There are 917 people in hospital with Covid, which is 15 more than yesterday, and 59 people are receiving intensive care, which is two more than yesterday. Sadly, a further 20 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, which takes the total number of deaths registered under the daily definition to 9,072. I again send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

More positively, the vaccination programme continues to make good progress. I will provide more details on the booster programme later, but I can confirm that 4,309,932 people have received a first dose and that 3,897,133 have had both doses.

In total, 87 per cent of the over-18 population is fully vaccinated with two doses. That includes 96 per cent of the over-40s, 76 per cent of 30 to 39-year-olds and 67 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds. In addition, 75 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds and 53 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds have had a first dose. For most people in those age groups, only a single dose is recommended at this stage.

This weekly update coincides with the latest three-week review point for the remaining regulations. As I indicated a moment ago, I confirm that the Cabinet agreed at our meeting today to make no change to the current regulations that are in place. That reflects our assessment that, although the situation is greatly improved since August, it remains fragile as we head into the winter period.

In my statement before the recess, I reported that case numbers had fallen by more than 20 per cent in the preceding week and by more than 60 per cent in the preceding five weeks. The fact that case numbers declined so steeply without the need for tougher restrictions was extremely welcome. It showed that increased compliance with mitigations, together with increased immunity through vaccination, previous infection or both, had been capable of stemming even the Delta variant.

However, while case numbers remain much lower than the previous peak, the decline has levelled off over the past three weeks. In recent days, we have been reporting a very slight increase in cases. To illustrate that further, three weeks ago, there were on average just under 2,500 new cases being reported each day, and the average now is just over 2,500 cases a day.

It is important to see that in a wider context. Having had the highest rate for a period, Scotland currently has the lowest Covid case rate of the four United Kingdom nations. At this stage, the increase in cases is relatively small, at about 2 per cent. We are certainly not experiencing a surge in new cases of anything like the magnitude of late August.

However, as we know from experience, there is never any room for complacency with the virus. We cannot ignore the fact that case numbers have started to creep up again. Even before the recent increase, they were at a higher level than we would have wanted.

One consequence of the continued high number of cases is that the national health service remains under significant pressure. Although case numbers are lower than in early September, we are seeing a slightly different age distribution, with increases in the older rather than younger populations. That partly explains why the steep reduction in case numbers has not been mirrored by an equally steep decline in hospital admissions.

Covid-related hospital occupancy—the number of patients who are in hospital with Covid at any given time—is lower than it was three weeks ago, at 917 today, compared with 998 three weeks ago. However, the figure has increased again slightly in the past week.

Hospital admissions also remain high. More than 600 people with Covid are still being admitted each week, and admissions to intensive care units have also increased. What all that means is that NHS staff are dealing with significant numbers of Covid patients alongside other patient care, while also preparing for wider winter pressures and dealing with the backlog of care that built up in earlier stages of the pandemic.

In fact, the entire health and care system is—as all members are aware—under considerable pressure; arguably, it is under more pressure now than at any previous stage of the pandemic. Across the country, hospitals are at, or close to, capacity, and the social care system is also under pressure.

Those pressures are, of course, likely to intensify during the winter period. We know that, with people meeting indoors more often during winter, there are more opportunities for a virus to circulate, which could lead to a further rise in cases. We are also approaching the winter flu season, which could add to the pressure on the NHS.

We are therefore working closely with health boards as they deal with those pressures, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has already confirmed a package of winter support. In addition, I confirm that a further £482 million is being allocated to the NHS and integration authorities. That includes more than £120 million to support test and protect, and more than £130 million to further support the vaccination programme. The balance of funding will cover additional Covid-related costs in areas such as staffing and equipment.

The pressures on the NHS are a reminder that Covid is still a threat to our individual health and to the capacity of our health and care services. That is why continued high compliance with existing mitigations and protections is so vitally important.

At this moment of fragility, I therefore ask all of us across the country to make a renewed individual and collective effort to stick to the basic protections that are still in place to help drive case numbers down again. Please wear face coverings when required, ventilate indoor spaces wherever possible, wash hands and surfaces, use lateral flow device tests regularly, and book a polymerase chain reaction test if one of those LFD tests shows up positive, if you have symptoms of Covid, or if you are identified as a close contact of someone who is positive.

Please also continue to give contact details, when visiting pubs and restaurants, for example, and show your Covid certificate if visiting a venue where that is required. The Covid certification scheme has been operational for more than three weeks and is now enforceable by law. I am grateful to the businesses that have worked hard to comply with the scheme.

Last but not least, we continue to ask people to work from home whenever that is possible, which continues to be an important way of reducing transmission. The Scottish Government will continue to work with business to support an appropriate, phased return to office working. However, it is important to stress that, at this stage, we still encourage people to work from home as much as possible. I am grateful to employers who continue to do everything possible to provide safe environments for both their workers and customers.

In summary, this is a moment—again—for all of us to step up our compliance with those basic protections. We know from experience that, if and when we do so, we can stem transmission. It is important that we do so now.

The judgment of the Cabinet today—informed, of course and as always, by clinical advice—is that it is not necessary at this stage to reintroduce any tighter restrictions. However, as has always been the case, we will keep that under review. In particular, we will consider on an on-going basis whether any of the existing mitigations need to be strengthened in any way.

Of course, the most important tool that we have against Covid is vaccination. The NHS is currently delivering the biggest ever winter vaccination programme. Over the course of this winter, more than 4 million flu vaccines and more than 3 million Covid vaccines will be administered. Almost 1.5 million of those have already been delivered.

The Covid booster programme commenced within a week of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice on prioritisation being received. So far, more than half a million people have had a booster jag. Those aged over 70 and those on the highest risk list are being prioritised first. Those groups, together with older people in care homes and front-line health and care workers, will all be offered the booster vaccination between now and early November.

Other groups—including all adults over the age of 50—will get booster appointments through November, December and, in some cases, into early January. The portal that will allow those in younger age groups to book appointments online will open in November.

I remind members that the main constraint on the speed of vaccination is the JCVI advice that six months must have elapsed between a second dose and a booster dose.

In short, we are making good progress, but every effort is being made and will continue to be made, within the limits of the JCVI’s advice, to accelerate the pace of the programme. For example, as the programme moves down the age groups, we will be considering additional clinics, particularly at evenings and weekends. We will continue to support health boards to identify, recruit and train additional staff as required. We are also enabling boards to make use of healthcare students and primary care staff—including general practitioners, GP practice staff, dentists and pharmacists—where it is appropriate to do so, to help to meet demand.

It is also important to note that, for convenience and to avoid older and more vulnerable people, in particular, needing two separate appointments, Covid booster and flu vaccinations are being co-administered wherever possible. That might mean that, this year, some people will receive their flu vaccine slightly later than might normally be the case. However, I assure people that the timing of flu vaccinations is entirely clinically appropriate.

I mentioned that 53 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds have now received their first jag, and I sincerely thank all the young people who have come forward for vaccination. I confirm that everyone in that age group has now had an appointment scheduled, and they should have received a letter telling them about their appointment. Again, I encourage all 12 to 15-year-olds who are not already vaccinated, and their parents and carers, to read the online information about vaccination so that they can make an informed decision about getting the jag. If they have not come forward yet, I ask that they please do so as soon as possible.

As I noted, the scale of the winter vaccination programme that is currently under way is unprecedented. Therefore, I take the opportunity to say how grateful all of us in the Government and, I am sure, across the chamber are to everyone in our pressurised health and care service who is contributing to its success.

I urge everyone to get vaccinated for flu, for Covid or for both, if they are eligible, as soon as they are called to do so. Getting vaccinated remains the single most important thing that we can all do to protect ourselves—particularly over the course of this winter—and one another.

The good progress in vaccinating young people is relevant to the next issue that I will briefly refer to, which is our on-going work to ensure that schools remain as safe as possible in that context. Last week, we confirmed that the current school mitigations, including the wearing of face coverings, will remain in place for a further period in the light of the slight increase in transmission of the virus that we have seen and on which I have reported today. However, we also gave a commitment to monitor key information, including case rates, weekly and to lift those mitigation measures in schools as soon as it is considered prudent to do so.

We also know that ventilation is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of airborne Covid transmission and that carbon dioxide monitors can help schools to assess and improve their ventilation. That is why we committed to providing local authorities with an additional £10 million of funding to ensure that schools and childcare settings have access to carbon dioxide monitoring. I confirm that the education secretary will write to the Education, Children and Young People Committee later this week with a full update on the progress that local authorities have made in completing CO₂ assessments of schools and other education facilities.

Before I conclude, I will touch on two other issues. The first relates to rules on international travel. Fully vaccinated travellers returning from non-red-list countries are currently required to take a polymerase chain reaction test on day 2 of their arrival back to or into Scotland. However, the UK Government recently announced that travellers arriving into England will be able to take a lateral flow test, with photo verification, instead of a PCR test, and, for practical reasons, the Scottish Government will align with that change. That means that, from 4 am on Sunday 31 October, people travelling to Scotland also can provide a lateral flow test, rather than a PCR test, on day 2 of their arrival.

From around 5 pm on Friday, travellers will be able to book lateral flow tests from the list of providers on the gov.uk website in advance of their arrival into Scotland. Those tests cost between £20 and £30, which is less than a PCR test costs. Therefore, I am sure that the change will be welcomed by travellers and the travel industry. However, it is important to stress that, if a lateral flow test result is positive, a PCR test must be booked to confirm the result.

The final update that I will give relates to the upcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow, which gets under way this weekend. Indeed, some delegates are already here for pre-sessional events. The summit is one of the most important gatherings of the century so far. It is perhaps the world’s last chance to avert future climate catastrophe. The Scottish Government will do everything that it can, working with the UK Government, to make it a success.

Given the scale of the event, the hosting of COP would always have been a significant challenge for the UK and Scottish Governments and for Glasgow City Council. However, the fact that it is happening amid the global pandemic obviously makes it even more challenging. It is inevitable that an event of such scale poses a risk of increased Covid transmission. However, I assure the Parliament and the public that the Scottish Government has been working closely with the United Nations and the UK Government to mitigate the risks as far as possible.

Steps have been taken to ensure, as far as possible, that delegates have been fully vaccinated before arrival. Everyone arriving in Glasgow from outside the common travel area will also need to show a negative test result before they arrive in the UK. Anyone from the seven countries that are still on the travel red list will be required to stay in managed quarantine for 10 days.

In addition, everyone who enters the core venues for COP—the blue zone—will be required to take a lateral flow Covid test every day, wear a face covering and follow 1m physical distancing and hand hygiene guidance. The event space also has strict hygiene protocols in place. Of course, all the people attending, whether they attend as official delegates or activists, will be required to follow the same basic Covid precautions as the rest of the population, such as wearing face masks in indoor public places and on public transport. As we know, all those steps will help to reduce the risk of Covid transmission. I hope that they will help to make COP a safe event, as well as—we all hope—a successful one.

I said earlier that our position, although improved from that over the summer, is still fragile. Vaccination still allows us to live with far fewer restrictions and mitigations than was possible at earlier stages in the pandemic. Case numbers are lower than they were in August and early September, but they are still high and might now be rising again.

As we head into winter, there are factors that could drive cases up further. Therefore, we must remember—however much we all wish otherwise—that the virus has not gone away. We all need to play our part in helping to keep it under control. For that reason, I will close with a reminder of what we can all do to help with that.

First, as I mentioned, I ask people to get vaccinated if they are eligible and have not yet done so. That includes going for a booster jag when they are invited for it. It is never too late to get vaccinated; so, if people have not done so previously, it is still possible for them to come forward and get their jags.

Secondly, I ask people to test regularly with lateral flow devices. I remind them that LFDs can be ordered through the NHS Inform website or collected from local test sites or pharmacies. If someone tests positive, is identified as a close contact or has symptoms, they should self-isolate and book a PCR test.

Thirdly, I ask people to comply with the mitigations that are still in place. Wear face coverings in indoor public places and wash hands and surfaces thoroughly. Meet outdoors if possible. That is increasingly difficult as we get deeper into winter, but outdoor environments are safer. When meeting indoors, open windows—anything at all that improves ventilation will help.

All those precautions make a difference. We have seen that at previous stages of the pandemic. They will protect each of us and the people around us, and they will help to ease the burden on our national health service. So, please stick with it. I offer my thanks, once again, to everyone who is doing all of that.

I will try to address all those points. First, the pressure that our national health service, including our accident and emergency services, is operating under is unprecedented not just here in Scotland but across the UK. Indeed, health services are facing that pressure across much of the world because of the circumstances of the global pandemic that we have been living through. The Government continues, through resources and in a range of other ways, to support the health service as much as possible and that will continue.

The pressure on our health services is undeniable and that pressure is felt first and foremost by the people working on the front line. My gratitude to them is well known and I repeat it today. What that support means—this does not in any way take away from the reality of the pressure but gives some context—is that accident and emergency services in Scotland are performing to a higher standard than those in the other nations of the UK. We want to get it higher, but it is important that we understand that context. Through the measures that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has outlined and the further support that I have outlined today, we will continue day and daily to make sure that the health service has the support that it needs.

We can all help the NHS right now by doing all of the things that we know keep downward pressure on Covid. The fewer people in our population who have Covid, the fewer people who will need hospital treatment for Covid and, therefore, the more we will all be helping the NHS.

The vaccination programme in Scotland is going exceptionally well. I want to briefly share some more detail about that with members. For example, we have the highest percentage of people vaccinated with a first dose out of all the countries of the UK—78.8 per cent of the total population. Next is Wales with 76.4 per cent. Similarly, 71.2 per cent of the total population in Scotland have had the second dose; next is Wales, again, with 70.6 per cent. We are top of that table. We are also significantly ahead when it comes to the vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds.

On the roll-out of booster jags, which is the single most important thing that we are focused on right now, our vaccination rates are broadly in line with those in the rest of the UK and, as I said, we are doing everything that we can to accelerate that within the confines of the JCVI advice. I heard the World Health Organization special envoy on Covid-19 on the radio this morning recognising the logistical issues that all countries have to grapple with in delivering a vaccination programme of this scale, but everything is being done to make sure that it happens at pace.

I have two final points. Penultimately—and also on vaccination—throughout the vaccination programme, we have had to balance local with large-scale delivery, which has led to some people having to travel longer distances. We have tried to vaccinate the older and more vulnerable members of our population as locally as possible, and that will continue. We will continue to assess the number and location of vaccination clinics to ensure that the balance is right.

The request for military support by NHS Grampian will be submitted when it has been refined to an appropriate degree. It is important that health boards do not request what they do not need, and it is important that requests are properly framed. That work is on-going.

All our decisions on the vaccination programme are guided by the JCVI’s advice. After reviewing the data on different combinations of vaccines, the JCVI advised that, regardless of which product was used in the primary course of someone’s vaccination, people who are eligible for a booster should be offered a dose of the Pfizer vaccine or a half dose of the Moderna vaccine, because they are well tolerated as a third dose and will provide strong booster protection. When the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines cannot be offered—for example, due to contraindications—booster vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine might be considered for people who received AstraZeneca in their primary course of vaccination.

Yes. I envisage that the requirement to wear face coverings in certain indoor public places will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Of course, I should also say that we are required to assess that on an on-going basis in order to make sure that the requirement continues to be proportionate and appropriate. However, given the level of cases right now, and given that we are going into the winter period, it is highly likely that it will continue to be a requirement for some time longer.

Of course it is not without inconvenience, but wearing a face covering is one of the simplest things that we can all do to protect other people. Everybody who wears a face covering helps to protect others. That is an important part of the solidarity that we all need to continue to display. I know that it is difficult and that we all have lapses at times, but we should all make sure that we remember to wear a face covering when we are required to do so.

I thank Evelyn Tweed for that question. The Covid certification scheme is in our view a necessary, proportionate and limited measure that is targeted at higher-risk activities. It is—I think that this is the important point to remember—an alternative to potential closure of higher-risk venues.

All our decisions are taken and reviewed on the basis of the latest data and clinical evidence. The review process includes consideration of impact assessments including equality impact assessments and children’s rights and wellbeing impact assessments, which should be an important assurance for civil liberties and human rights groups.

We will not keep the certification scheme or any other Covid mitigation measure in place for any longer than is necessary, but right now it is an important protection that will continue to be important for the foreseeable future.