Pupils in Scotland could start to return to schools by the end of this month, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Giving an update on lockdown restrictions to MSPs in Holyrood, the First Minister indicated that there would be a phased and gradual return to classrooms from February 22.
Subject to confirmation on February 16, and the continued suppression of the virus, all children under school age in early learning and childcare will return full-time from that date.
Pupils in Primary 1 to Primary 3 will also be allowed back into school.
Older pupils, in the senior phase of secondary school, will also be able to return but only to take part in practical work central to achieving qualifications.
Only between 5% and 8% of the school roll should be in at any one time.
The First Minister said: “The decisions I am about to outline are intended to give young people, parents and teachers as much notice as possible, but I must stress that they are subject to continued progress in suppressing the virus and will be subject to final confirmation in two weeks’ time.”
The phased return to schools would be supported by an expansion of the testing regime.
Anyone working in schools or childcare settings in Scotland, as well as older pupils, will be routinely tested twice a week.
Ms Sturgeon said: “It is our intention that those who work in schools, and in early learning and childcare settings attached to schools, will be offered at-home testing twice a week. All senior-phase secondary school students will be offered this too.
“This testing offer will be in place for schools as soon as possible to support their return, and we will extend it to the wider childcare sector in the weeks after that.
“We are determined to get our children back to normal schooling just as quickly as it is safe to do so. It is our overriding priority.”
Lockdown to continue until at least end of February
Nicola Sturgeon started her address to Holyrood by saying that Scotland’s lockdown will continue until at least the end of February.
The First Minister said progress had been made in the fight against the virus as a result of compliance with lockdown restrictions, but that “continued caution” was needed.
Ms Sturgeon also said there could be some “gradual easing” from the start of March.
She said: “If our progress continues, then I am cautiously optimistic that, as more and more people get vaccinated and with the protection of some of the additional measures that I will cover shortly, we may be able to begin looking towards a careful and gradual easing around the start of March.”
An update on possible easing will be given in two weeks, Ms Sturgeon said.
Testing extended
Scotland will extend asymptomatic testing to workers in food production and distribution.
Routine testing, similar to that in place for health and care workers, will be brought in “over the course of this month”, the First Minister said.
Further asymptomatic testing will also be put in place in some local communities.
Seven local authority areas have already had such a scheme confirmed, with plans to be announced for each council in the country by the end of this week.
“This can play a particularly valuable role in communities where prevalence is stubbornly high or starting to rise again,” Ms Sturgeon said.
Managed quarantine for travellers
Travellers coming to Scotland from any country may be asked to quarantine in a hotel under new plans.
Ms Sturgeon announced that a system of “managed quarantine” would be put in place for anyone arriving directly to Scotland, going further than systems announced in the rest of the UK.
She told MSPs: “The firm view of the Scottish Government is that in order to minimise the risk of new strains coming into the country, managed quarantine must be much more comprehensive.
“I can therefore confirm today that we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from.”
The First Minister also said that she could not “unilaterally” impose such restrictions on people landing elsewhere in the UK and travelling to Scotland, but hoped the other administrations would work with the Scottish Government to reduce the number of people doing so.
Self-isolation payment
Criteria for the £500 self-isolation payment offered by the Scottish Government will be widened.
Only a quarter of the applications for the grant in its first two months were accepted by local authorities, leading the Scottish Government to review its conditions.
Currently, those eligible for benefits can claim, but the First Minister said: “I can therefore confirm today that we will be extending eligibility for the £500 self-isolation payment to everyone on an income below the level of the real living wage.
“More details of this and the other steps we intend taking to support people required to self-isolate will be set out by the Social Security Secretary shortly.”
Prevalence has fallen
There was good news on Covid-19 prevalence in Scotland, which has fallen under the lockdown regulations.
Ms Sturgeon said cases went from 302 per 100,000 in the week ending January 8 to 136 last week.
She said: “Test positivity has also reduced. In the seven days up to January 29 it averaged 6.6% – still higher, but closer than it has been in recent weeks, to the 5% that the WHO consider to be indicative of an outbreak being under control.
“Pressure on our NHS continues to be severe. The number of Covid patients being treated in hospital remains around 30% above the high point of the first wave last April.
“However, hospital admissions in this wave appear to have peaked on January 12.
“They have now stabilised and are starting to reduce, albeit slowly.”
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe