Chamber and committees

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport wrote to the health and social care sector on 15 January to confirm that adult day centres can continue to operate in Covid protection level 4 areas during the current lockdown, where they are essential for people’s wellbeing - i.e. where participants’ or carers’ health (including their mental health) and wellbeing would be significantly impacted by non-attendance. The letter is published on the Scottish Government website at: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-day-services-for-adults---letter-from-the-cabinet-secretary-for-health-and-sport---15-january-2021/

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework published on 23 February confirms the intention to move back to a geographically differentiated protections levels approach, Ministers stated their expectation this would be from 26 April (assuming data allows it). Under protection levels 0-3, adult day centres can operate in line with the guidance on adult social care building-based day service. This guidance can be found on the Scottish Government website at: www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-adult-social-care-building-based-day-services/

Our guidance and communications emphasises, while day service capacity is reduced, the importance of prioritising supported people and their unpaid carers who are most in need of support at this time, taking into consideration the level of risk for each individual. It also emphasises the importance of alternative provision for those who are unable to access support immediately, and of supported people and their unpaid carers being fully involved in these conversations and decision-making.

The Scottish Government continues to acknowledge the fact that on-going restrictions have been challenging for everyone, in particular for families with young children.

Essential reasons for travel include providing care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person, which can include providing support to a parent of a child under the age of 1.

In level 4, personal trainers are currently permitted to work with one other person outside. From Friday 12 March, Personal Trainers can hold outdoor group sessions with up to another 14 people.

If they are treating a musculoskeletal condition that requires close contact, this would be defined as ‘close contact services’ in the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (as amended). Further information of what is permitted at each protection level can be found in the following guidance:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): local protection levels - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

The Strategic Framework will provide the pathway to reopening of tourism which will be gradual and cautious. We will provide as much clarity and detail as is possible for planning purposes and intend to publish a strategic framework review next week. We will continue to work with all sectors within tourism, including self-catering, to support them up to and beyond reopening. We are committed to restoring the strength of Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sector, without undermining the great strides we have made in suppressing the virus.

The First Minister announced on 2 March that from 15 March regulated school age childcare services can reopen for all primary children alongside P4-7 as part of the phase 2 return. These plans are conditional on continued progress on suppressing the virus.

On 9 March, the First Minister announced that organised outdoor non-contact group sport and physical activity for 12-17 year olds will be permitted to resume from 12 March, subject to a maximum of 15 participants and to sport specific guidance agreed with sportscotland. While we don’t yet have a date for the resumption of contact sport for 12-17 year olds, the First Minister noted that we will seek to build on these changes as quickly as possible in the weeks ahead.

On the 16 March, the First Minister is expected to provide a more detailed timetable for the period after 26 April.

The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that the risk increases exponentially with age. Additionally the committee considers frontline health and social care workers who provide direct care to vulnerable people a high priority for vaccination.

The JCVI priority lists represents 99% of the preventable mortality from COVID-19 and throughout the delivery of the vaccination programme we will be guided by the clinical expertise of the JCVI, the MHRA, and our own senior clinical advisers.

The Scottish Government is working with the sector to explore what measures can be put in place to support the physical and mental wellbeing of international students who are subject to managed isolation arrangements.

In relation to their financial wellbeing, international and EU students can now apply for financial hardship support from the £22m HE Coronavirus Discretionary Fund and £3m FE Coronavirus Discretionary Fund, which were allocated to the universities and colleges in February. Institutions' assessments and awards are based on the individual circumstances involved, however the eligible scenarios can include costs associated with travel to / from Scotland if a) their travel is essential and in line with current travel restrictions/ exemptions; and b) they are in financial hardship and can demonstrate this through the institution's hardship assessment process.

The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that the risk increases exponentially with age. Additionally the committee considers frontline health and social care workers who provide direct care to vulnerable people a high priority for vaccination.

The JCVI priority lists represents 99% of the preventable mortality from COVID-19 and throughout the delivery of the vaccination programme we will be guided by the clinical expertise of the JCVI, the MHRA, and our own senior clinical advisers.

Under current lockdown restrictions, the Strategic Framework allows for community centres to open where they are required to facilitate the provision of essential services such as the co-ordination of food parcels or medical supplies.

It is anticipated that , when the data allows, there will be a return to the full, locally differentiated, levels approach that recognises the different levels of prevalence in different areas. Whether community centres can fully reopen will be dependent on the particular level of the local authority and community centre operators must decide whether services are able to operate safely within the guidelines for relevant activities. Decisions on whether to open and what services can be provided, as well as how to meet any compliance requirements is the responsibility of the management of a centre taken at a local level.