There is a STUC webinar on ‘The Relaxation of COVID19 Protections: The impact for workers and unions’, this takes place on 08th September at 4pm, further information including registration details can be found here.
This webinar is FREE and will be very interesting, if you are interested please book.
Further guidance will be provided to businesses to help them adopt measures to mitigate risks, including ensuring good ventilation; maintaining good hand hygiene; practising respiratory hygiene; getting vaccinated; and continuing to engage with Test and Protect.
Further guidance will be provided to businesses to help them adopt measures to mitigate risks, including ensuring good ventilation; maintaining good hand hygiene; practising respiratory hygiene; getting vaccinated; and continuing to engage with Test and Protect.
More information can be found here https://www.gov.scot/news/scotland-to-move-beyond-level-0 and here https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-3-august-2021-1
Please view a letter that has been sent to local authorities asking that they include communications around on-return asymptomatic at-home testing in their plans for return to schools in the coming weeks.
An update on the asymptomatic testing programme is also included.
Revised Schools Guidance
Following the First Minister’s statement today the revised schools guidance can be found here: Coronavirus: reducing risks in schools guidance
To allow time to monitor the impact of a new policy on self-isolation for U18s, and to take account of the unique features of the school environment at the time of return, the guidance advises the continued application of most of the existing mitigations for a period of up to 6 weeks; for example, the position on physical distancing in schools should effectively remain the same, despite the wider changes to these requirements.
As with previous versions, the guidance will be kept under constant review, and if data and evidence suggest that any specific mitigations can be removed at an earlier stage advice will be provided to that effect.
We understand that the Cabinet secretary for Finance has agreed to a joint meeting with COSLA Leaders to discuss the funding situation for local government and that meeting is due to take place this Wednesday.
We understand that the Cabinet secretary for Finance has agreed to a joint meeting with COSLA Leaders to discuss the funding situation for local government and that meeting is due to take place this Wednesday. Thereafter COSLA Leaders are due to meet on Friday, at which point it is likely they will take a view on affordability with respect to improving the pay offer following the discussions with the Cabinet Secretary. This is the final week of the Scottish Parliament sitting before the summer recess and we have asked Mark Griffin MSP to see if he can get an urgent question laid on this issue to add additional pressure on the Scottish Government. We will keep you abreast of developments.
The TUC is hosting a webinar discussing the results of its survey of Long Covid in the workplace, current policy relating to the condition, the related campaign priorities and what unions can do to support workers experiencing symptoms. It’s open to all TU activists, reps and officers with an interest in the issue. It is being held at 7pm on the 30th June and you can register here: http://msg.unison.org.uk/c/1nhZGBmZ1Qq0KNsxs5tm9
Please find attached an advice note regarding planning for mitigations in schools post-summer holidays, including in respect of the schools asymptomatic testing programme. This has been developed with input from members, including unions, of the Covid Education Recovery Group (CERG) and draws on advice from the Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues.
The approach reflects the current uncertainty around the Delta variant and the position post-summer, and the advice received that removal of some key mitigations in school environments is significantly easier than reintroduction.
As referenced in the note, separate advice on ELC settings is expected to be produced and issued shortly. The ELC guidance is expected to reflect important key differences in the situation faced by schools and ELC settings, including that many ELC settings will be operating over the summer while local authority areas progress through different protection levels, and that some current mitigations result in capacity issues that will have a bearing on decisions that local authorities need to take about placements ahead of the next academic term.
Download or View the document below:
Preparations are underway for the consultative ballot and further campaign resources will be circulated in advance of the ballot opening.
Three of the five major parties have now confirmed they will send a representative to our online hustings event which will be live-streamed on Facebook.
LG ‘One Year of Covid’ Survey – Members should have already received a national reminder, however please see link below
As you will be aware nearly all pupils are due to return to full-time school when the Easter holidays end.
However, children who are on the shielding list are advised to stay at home until 26 April, in line with advice from the Chief Medical Officer. All other pupils, will return to school once the summer term starts.
Strict 2 metre physical distancing between pupils in secondary schools will be removed and schools will consider how they can strengthen other mitigations.
Following the national expansion of lateral flow testing, twice-weekly tests are available for all school staff in primary, secondary and special schools and for secondary school pupils.
More info on the return of schools here:
https://www.gov.scot/news/return-to-full-time-school
There have been inaccurate posts on social media and on-line regarding the safety of Covid-19 lateral flow tests in relation to the use of ethylene oxide in the sterilization of the swabs. We urge everyone to get their facts from reputable sources.
Dr Fu-Meng Khaw, Public Health England COVID-19 Incident Director, said:
“Parents, children and staff should feel reassured that lateral flow tests used in schools have been rigorously tested and are completely safe to use on a regular basis. Any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and harmful misinformation.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“Lateral flow tests have been rigorously tested and are safe to use on a regular basis. Any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and harmful misinformation.
“The manufacturers have confirmed that 1-2ug/g of ethylene oxide is used in the swabs, which is well within national/international safety standards.
“We are working closely with social media platforms to help them identify and take action to remove incorrect claims about the pandemic, including deliberately false information that could endanger people’s health.”
Stirling UNISON 