Coronavirus in Scotland - 'Stick to the rules' pleads Sturgeon

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Retailers in Scotland have called on the Scottish government to take "radical" action to boost the local economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has set out a series of short-term proposals intended "to build consumer confidence and encourage shoppers back into town and city centres".

The suggested measures include:

• Targeted tax cuts, putting money back in the pockets of ordinary workers
• A short-life scrappage scheme, replacing old household items with more eco-friendly versions
• Cash payments for the least affluent
• Abolishing town centre parking charges

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A group of 200 travel companies has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel asking for current quarantine plans for people entering the UK to be scrapped.

It follows calls last week from MPs and travel bosses to reconsider the rules.

From 8 June, people entering the UK from abroad will be told to isolate for 14 days.

The letter suggests travel should be possible for people - without quarantine - between destinations "deemed safe from coronavirus".

Read more here.

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Britain and Scotland are moving in the right direction in fighting Covid-19 and easing the lockdown but it needs compliance to prevent another surge in the virus, health experts warn.

Nathalie MacDermott, a paediatric infectious disease specialist at King's College London and who worked in Liberia during the Ebola outbreak, tells BBC Radio Scotland that the new lockdown measures do not mean "we can meet with anyone we want without social distancing".

"The reproduction number is sitting at just under one at the moment and, if you have a reproduction number of one, you essentially have what is essentially a grumbling epidemic," she explains. "Since we are just under one and are too bold in reducing our lockdown measures, or if we don't comply with what the government is asking us to do, we will see the virus get a foothold in the population again."

Linda Bauld, professor of public health at Edinburgh University, says: "All the numbers are going in the right direction. In terms of the R number, we know from the London School of Hygiene it might be around 0.8 in Scotland, so it is very close to one."

Remarking on reports of police fines and lockdown non-compliance, she adds: "The Scottish government's decision to move slowly should be welcomed, but as we have seen from the scenes at the weekend, the people are very frustrated."

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The coronavirus lockdown has created a "perfect storm" for many children isolated with their abusers, former home secretary Sajid Javid has said.

Writing in the Telegraph, he said this will contribute to a "surge" in cases.

He said he will lead a new "no holds barred" inquiry into child sex abuse in the UK with the Centre for Social Justice think tank.

The inquiry will examine organised child sexual exploitation and the abuse of children online.

Read more here.

In the short term, there will be many immediate changes so that workers can socially distance from each other. Longer term, the coronavirus pandemic will reshape the future of architecture, office design and communal workplaces.

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The advice for shielded people in Scotland remains stay at home, while in England they are allowed to meet others outdoors from today.

Holly McCormack, who is asthmatic, said: “As every week goes on, it’s frustrating especially with the weather getting better and seeing other people get out.”

She has been allowed to go out and exercise, with her GP suggesting she could go out very early or late to do so.

But with more people now spending time outside, Holly says it is getting more difficult to find somewhere to go.

She suggests the government should set a specific space or time to ensure people in the most vulnerable category can go out to exercise.

Professor James Chalmers explains people adhering to lockdown rules relies on the appearance of fairness, rather than the fact they could be punished for flouting them.

The expert in law and public health at Glasgow University said over time people will naturally get frustrated with the restrictions, as well as being frustrated by seeing other people not adhering to them, which is why policing by consent is important.

Most people understand the general sense of the rules in place, Prof Chalmers says, but he says as we move away from the simple 'stay at home' message people will get confused by what is and is not allowed.

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The "vast majority" of janitors, cleaners, secretaries, canteen staff and other non-teaching staff at schools are anxious about children returning to schools, the chair of the education issues group at Unison Scotland.

Lorraine Thomson tells BBC Radio Scotland says that a survey of those workers showed that they wonder whether there will be enough appropriate PPE and are concerned about infection control, risk assessment measures and training.

"They are anxious that there might be short cuts taken in risk assessment measures that are identified," she says.

"Cleaning staff and catering staff have borne the brunt of austerity cuts that have been foisted on local authorities and that has to be looked at before we go back."

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Parents in Scotland are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of lockdown on their children, according to the executive director of parents' organisation Connect.

The organisation carried out a survey of parents during April, immediately after lockdown, and has relaunched it to ask parents what schools have to look like before they will be comfortable with sending their kids back to lessons.

Some English schools returned today, with some reports suggesting about half of parents were not ready to send their children back, but Eileen Prior tells BBC Scotland that parents here are especially concerned about the impact of lockdown on teenagers who have been isolated from their social circle and school friends.

"And parents are themselves struggling," she says. "There is a lot of pressure on them because they are having to assume the role of teacher."

Ms Prior adds that, while they are keen for their children to return to school, they are worried about how children will cope with that "because it won't be the school they left before lockdown."

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A further 111 deaths have been confirmed across the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells the daily briefing, taking the total to 39,045.

This is the lowest daily fatality figure for more than two months.

Hancock says this - and the other figures - shows that the UK's action plan is "working" and the UK "is winning the battle against the virus".

Despite the significant progress, he says the UK cannot let up on social distancing or other measures as the "disease is not done yet".

You can follow updates on the UK government briefing here.

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A councillor in Glencoe has called on people not to visit right now and come "another time please".

The first minister highlighted an increase in traffic to Loch Lomond and Glencoe at the weekend, in breach of government guidance.

Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scotland's coronavirus guidelines could be enforced by new laws if "even a minority" continue to flout them.

Niall McLean, a councillor for the area, called on people not to visit at this time and follow the guidelines.

Quote Message: It's disappointing because the local community here has put such an effort into maintaining the safest position we could get here. It seems that some people are going to flaunt the current guidelines It's not acceptable for the community to be put under such strain at such time." from Niall McLean Glencoe councillor

It's disappointing because the local community here has put such an effort into maintaining the safest position we could get here. It seems that some people are going to flaunt the current guidelines It's not acceptable for the community to be put under such strain at such time."

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It was like a normal May holiday weekend in Scotland's accident and emergency departments, according the vice-president at the Royal College for Emergency Services.

Dr David Chung tells BBC Radio Scotland it was the busiest weekend in more than a month - and it was all to do with the relaxing of the lockdown and not Covid-19.

"Up until now, most emergency departments in Scotland have been seeing about on average 65% of what they would have been seeing this time last year, but I think this weekend things have got a lot more busy," he says.

Dr Chung says May and June are normally the busiest times for emergency departments in Scotland and this weekend was almost back to normal as more people were enticed out of their homes.

He says it was down to an increase in minor injuries and illness, alcohol and drug use, and with children picking up injuries in their gardens and trampolines.

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Putting the lockdown guidelines into law would be "unenforceable", the organisation that represents Scotland's police officers has warned.

The Scottish Police Federation said officers had neither the "time nor technology" to ensure compliance.

General secretary Calum Steele said: "I’m not convinced legislating in accordance with the current guidance would either be good for the country of Scotland and its people, and it certainly wouldn’t be good for police-public relations. By and large I also think most of it would be unenforceable."

Police issued 797 dispersals on Saturday in a bid to prevent larger gatherings of people. Mr Steele said this was "disappointing" and he wanted people to comply with the guidelines without enforcement by law.

He added: "Very clearly if 5.4 million people want to do something, then 17,000-odd police officers are not going to stop them.

"I think really the only way in which greater compliance with the guidance and/or the law can be achieved is by a much more active campaign of public information and messaging than has currently been the case."

Scotland's coronavirus guidelines could be enforced by new laws if "even a minority" continue to flout them, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

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