The latest figures for today detailing the number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours have just been announced today by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, 5 November 2020.
The First Minister is in Holyrood for First Minister’s Questions. Later today the R number statistics will be published and the First Minister says she expects it to indicate the R number is ‘hovering around 1’.
Today England begins a four week lockdown due to run until 2 December 2020. The Scottish Government and in particular the Finance Secretary said (until today) they were pursuing further detail on the furlough scheme as it will apply to Scotland and businesses here. It appeared at first that Scotland might not be able to benefit from the financial support unless England was on a full lockdown, and while the Prime Minister appeared to have confirmed that Scotland can use it (even when England is not in lockdown) it was not spelled out until today.
This morning Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an extension to the furlough scheme until March. He announced this in the House of Commons today. The scheme guarantees 80% of wages up to £2,500 per month for anyone unable to work as a result of a lockdown. The Bank of England has already announced that it is to implement £150bn of quantitative easing into the economy.
Yesterday the First Minister said: “We continue to make the case – as do our counterparts in Wales and Northern Ireland – that the same level of furlough support must also be available after November. The same level of help for the self-employed should also be made available.
“We cannot have a situation where businesses are fully supported, rightly fully supported, when England enters a lockdown, but comparable support isn’t made available, if all or part of Scotland, or Wales or Northern Ireland face similar restrictions.”
In the House of Commons yesterday, the Prime Minister explained the reasoning behind the second lockdown which was later approved by MPs. He said: “SAGE’s latest analysis, published on Friday, suggests that the R remains above 1 in every part of England, which means the virus is continuing to grow among the population.
“And every day that the number is above one, is another day that the number of cases will rise locking in, more hospital admissions and alas more fatalities and pushing the NHS ever closer to the moment when it cannot cope. The course we have before us is to prevent the R from going back remaining above one and to get it down.
“Otherwise we face a bleak and an uncertain future of steadily rising infections and admissions until as I say the capacity of the NHS is breached.”
The figures in Scotland as at 5 November 2020 are as follows:
The number of new cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland today –1,216 new cases yesterday which is 7.6% to the total number of tests of which 128 were in Lothian.
The total number of confirmed cases in Scotland is now 69,660
Number of people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 – 1,252 which is a decrease of 5
Number of people in Intensive Care Units in Scotland – 95 which is up by 1
The number of deaths reported today of people who have tested positive within the last 28 days is 39. The number of deaths under this measurement is 2,966.
National Records of Scotland announced their weekly figures yesterday which state that the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 1 November 2020 is 4,649.
You can also see the latest numbers laid out visually on the Travelling Tabby website here. It is updated at 3pm daily.
[su_spoiler class=”my-custom-spoiler” title=”Socialising in Level Three areas”] Meeting others indoorsYou should not meet anyone who is not in your household indoors in your home or in their home. This applies to all age groups 12 and over. You can meet another household indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant. The maximum number of people who can meet indoors in a public (not a home) place are 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.
Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering.
Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can nevertheless meet as a single household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.
When you meet people from another household indoors you should:
minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating 1 metre distancing with additional measures being in place to avoid transmission.
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.
Meeting others outdoors
You can meet people from other households outdoors in a private garden or in a public place such as a park or an outdoor area of a pub. The maximum number of people who can meet outdoors is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.
Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering. Children under 12 do not need to maintain physical distance from others. This is to allow children under 12 to play with their friends outside.
Young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet up in groups of up to 6 at a time outdoors and are not subject to the 2 household limit. Physical distancing is required.
Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can continue to meet outside as a household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.
You should:
minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres away from anyone who is not part of your household
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.
Going into someone else’s home
If you are meeting people from another household in their garden and the gathering exceeds 6 people, you should only go into their house to:
access the garden – do so quickly and without touching anything
use the toilet – avoid touching surfaces with your hands as much as possible, wipe any surfaces that you do touch with antibacterial wipes, wash your hands thoroughly, dry your hands with a freshly laundered towel or a paper towel, which you should dispose of in a closed bin.
If members of another household are going to visit you and might need to use your toilet, you should ensure appropriate cleaning materials are available. You should also provide either a hand towel for each visiting household or paper towels and a safe disposal option.
Extended households
People who live in different places can form an “extended household” in the following circumstances:
People who live alone
If you are an adult and you live alone, or if all others in your household are under 18, you, any children who live with you, and the members of one other household (of any size) can agree to form an ‘extended household’. This will allow people who live alone (or those living only with children under the age of 18) to be considered part of another household in order to reduce loneliness, isolation and to provide mutual social support.
Couples who do not live together
Two adults are in a relationship and they do not live together they, and any children they each live with, can agree to form an ‘extended household’.
However, if one member of a household gets coronavirus, there is a strong likelihood that other members of that household will also catch it. For this reason, there are some important rules that extended households should follow to remain as safe as possible:
a household must not form an extended household with more than one other household
households can end the arrangement at any time, but should not then form an extended household with a new household for at least a 14-day period.
All the adults living in both households should agree to form the extended household. We also encourage parents or guardians to involve their children in discussions. Forming an extended household is an important decision that should be properly discussed and agreed beforehand. Physical distancing between members of an extended household is not required
Once two households have agreed to form an extended household they may meet outdoors or indoors, visit and stay at each other’s homes, and do everything that people in other households can do, such as watch TV, share a meal and look after each other’s children.
Members of an extended household are considered to be one household for the legal requirements on meeting other households and going outside, and for the guidance in this document about seeing friends and family and about exercise and leisure activity.
You can continue to interact with members of your extended household even if they live in a different area with a different Level of protective measures.
If someone in the extended household develops COVID-19 symptoms, to avoid spreading the virus all members of the extended household must isolate immediately if they met the symptomatic person at any time between 2 days before and up to 10 days after their symptoms started.
If the symptomatic person tests positive, all members of their direct household must isolate for 14 days from the start of symptoms. Similarly, other members of the extended household must isolate for 14 days from when the most recent contact took place. Isolate means staying in your own home for the full 14 days.
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including people over 70, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) may take part in an extended household arrangement, but should strictly follow the handwashing, surface cleaning and respiratory hygiene guidance on the NHS Inform website.
Shared parenting
Where parents do not live in the same household, children can move between their parents’ homes in all levels, this includes both supervised and unsupervised visitation.
The maximum number of people you can meet indoors and outdoors in a restaurant, café, pub or bar is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.
Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people meeting outdoors only.
Where an individual household includes more than 6 people they can continue to meet as a household in hospitality premises, although the venue may impose a smaller group limit.
Table service and the wearing of face-coverings (unless exempt) when not seated by all customers is mandatory in all hospitality venues. When meeting people from more than one other household, you should think beforehand about what size of table you will need to keep physically distanced between members of your group. The venue you are visiting should be able to advise you of booking options.
You will be asked by to provide your contact details for Test and Protect purposes This information is retained for 21 days with a view to sharing with Test and Protect Teams, if required.
Hospitality venues are required to put in place additional measures to minimise transmission of COVID-19. For example hand sanitiser stations and adequate ventilation. There will also be signs to inform customers whether the venue is in a 2 metres or 1 metre social distancing area.
You should stay at least 2 metres apart from people from other households at all times, unless the venue is operating 1 metre distancing due to additional measures being in place to avoid transmission. Physical distancing and good hand hygiene remain the most effective measures in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, distancing requirements need to be maintained, where reasonably practicable, at all times, including when waiting to enter premises and when seated.
You should avoid visiting multiple hospitality premises on the same day. In particular, do not visit more than one pub or bar on the same day, as this increases the risk of transmission.
Takeaways can still operate as normal, provided food and drink is sold for consumption off the premises. Face coverings and physical distancing rules must be followed.
Hotels and other accommodation providers can still serve food to guests staying in their premises up to 22:00. Room service, including alcohol, is allowed as normal.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
