An estimated 1,700 people are still in hospital but are ready for discharge, she said.To alleviate pressures, Sturgeon said immediate extra funding will be provided to health and social care partnerships to support the booking of additional care home beds for patients to be discharged to while they await an appropriate care package. Data shows the situation has generally improved but Covid has not gone away with over 5,000 cases a day still being recorded in Scotland. In cases where patients feel they cant tolerate wearing a face mask, the option of wearing a face covering should be available to them. History of the Lewis Hospitals (1800-2000), The Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021, Confidentiality, Sharing Information and Consent. ", Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. We would remind everyone that facemasksare an additional measure in place anddo notreplace physical distancing, or hygiene measures. The public health advice for people who feel unwell will be to stay at home until they feel better, to reduce the risk of infecting other people. In a letter to the Presiding Officer and relevant Committee Convenors, Ministers confirmed the remaining legal requirements will be lifted as expected on 18 April. is to help protect the many vulnerable individuals using the services. Transmission of the virus recently hit record levels in Scotland, with one in 11 Scots estimated to have the virus in the week ending 20 March. The latest spike in cases and hospitalisations in Scotland has been driven by the BA.2 Omicron variant of Covid. the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said anyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection a cold, flu or Covid should stay at home if possible and wear a face covering if they do need to go out. I think it's premature. The legal requirement to wear face coverings in most indoor public spaces and on public transport will become guidance next week. A leading infections expert told the BBC masks should still be worn on public transport and in healthcare settings when legal enforcement are dropped. For patients with symptoms, the new guidelines suggest 10 days of isolation from the date of symptom onset. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Free lateral flow kits will no longer be available for the general population - although they will still be provided for clinical care, for health and social care workers and for people visiting vulnerable individuals in care homes or hospitals. "But if we had a new variant in the future, the big scientific questions are: is it more transmissible? Covid: Law on wearing face masks in Scotland is lifted "I think we will have a good spring and summer, we will get through this wave and the pressure on the NHS from Covid will lessen," she said. Heres what you need to know. European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. ", The First Minister said Covid-19 was "still out there", adding: "Wearing a face covering is a bit of protection you can give, not only to yourself but to the people you might be around - including people who might be more clinically vulnerable.". Table 1 outlines the following situations where staff providing direct care to individuals are strongly recommended to wear a face mask at all times throughout their shift. "My understanding is it was a matter of seconds. Sturgeon said: I can confirm that we will be providing immediate extra funding to health and social care partnerships to support the booking of additional care home beds for patients to be discharged to while their care packages are being finalised. WHO continues to recommend the use of masks by the public in specific situations, and this update recommends their use irrespective of the local epidemiological situation, given the current spread of the COVID-19 globally. Staff should ensure that anyone who is not able to wear a face covering due to an existing medical condition is not forced to do so or refused treatment. Your feedback helps us to improve this website. Ms Sturgeon's cabinet discussed the latest data on Tuesday, but no announcement was made in parliament with Ms Sturgeon attending the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service in London. COVID-19: Universal mask-wearing reminder in Scotland The content is provided for information purposes only. But with more than 5000 cases of covid still being recorded every day the public are being urged to still take "sensible precautions" over the virus. Covid: Law on wearing face masks in Scotland is lifted This is the first medical grade transparent face mask available for use in Scotland. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. It is strongly recommended that you wear a FRSM at all times when providing direct patient care unless an FFP3 respirator is required in line with national guidance, It is strongly recommended that you wear a FRSM atall timesthroughout your shift. Copyright 2007-2023 STV. People without symptoms are no longer required to take the regular tests, but PCR tests will be available to people with symptoms until the end of April. Posters to support this can be foundon the Public Health Scotland website. Masks are no longer required. when receiving oxygen therapy or when in labour and children aged under 5. In the U.K. National Health Service (NHS), a mask mandate for staff was introduced in June 2020, specifying the use of type IIR, fluid-resistant surgical face masks by all staff and visitors. Instead of quietly side-lining her own health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon needs to sack Humza Yousaf and appoint someone up to the job. Requirements to wear surgical masks in a large London hospital during the first 10 months of omicron activity (December 2021 to September 2022) made no discernible difference to reducing hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark (1518 April). Here are the current rules around face masks for people in Scotland. compromises clinical care (e.g. "That's why we need to keep up a threshold of testing in Scotland and around the world - the PCR testing that we can genomically sequence to find those variants.". As of today, people are no longer legally required to wear a face mask in Scotland as the rule moved into guidance. Read about our approach to external linking. ", Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Chaos at port as thousands rush to leave Sudan, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended.