BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland must do better to ensure the safety of care workers during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Donald Macaskill of Scottish Care.

The organisation's chief executive says staff looking after people at home are struggling to get tested for Covid-19, highlighting cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area where people are having to travel to other parts of the country.

Image source, Scottish Care

The heath board insists it does have sufficient capacity but Mr Macaskill says some some social care staff are being left behind.

"We are getting a lot better at testing in care homes and that has been an immense improvement," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "But we almost seem to be getting worse for our home care workers and these workers are especially vulnerable going into individuals' houses.

"We need to get these workers tested and need equal priority in testing."

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins says it is "not good enough for politicians to always hide behind the science" when it comes to making decisions around when and how to ease lockdown measures.

"Of course we need to be led by it, but the science only takes you so far," he told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme.

"If, for example, the science were to say the RO (rate of infection) number was somewhere around 0.7, then it becomes a political choice, not a scientific choice, what you do next.

"Do you allow people to associate beyond their households in controlled, small numbers? Do you release aspects of the economy, to get people back to work? Those aren’t scientific choices, they are political choices."

Care homes which have found themselves on the front line of the coronavirus crisis are trying to forget their current situation as they mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe.

They're enjoying "the Best Seat in the House" for a special VE Day edition of the online variety concerts created by the Armed Forces charity - the Not Forgotten.

It is being broadcast on the Not Forgotten YouTube channel.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins says plans to consider ways of coming out of lockdown must focus not only on saving lives but also public health costs associated with keeping restrictions in place.

Mr Tomkins, a member of Holyrood's Covid-19 committee, says cancer referrals are down 70% in Scotland, while the suspension of cancer screening programmes means cases will not be detected and treated "as early as ideal", which will have "adverse consequences".

“We need to think honestly and robustly about the public health costs of lockdown as well," he told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme. "Lockdown is not a risk-free option when it comes to public health."

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Tomkins says cases of anxiety and depression are also on the increase across the country.

Image source, PA Media

The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay led the nation in a two-minute silence at 11am to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

The Duke and Duchess both laid floral wreaths of remembrance at a memorial near their Balmoral residence.

Image source, Getty Images

Being obese is known to increase the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Early research suggests it may also make people more ill with Covid-19, but why is this the case?

Read on for the full story

Steven McKenzie
BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter

Image source, Murrayfield Ice Rink

Refrigeration plants have been turned off to save costs and ice dug up or allowed to melt slowly.

Scotland's ice rinks are facing huge challenges as the prospect of life after lockdown moves closer.

BBC Scotland has been hearing about the challenge of getting them re-started when the lockdown ends.

The Legion Scotland, external Facebook page is broadcasting a virtual service of remembrance at 10:35 and a virtual tribute concert at 12:00.

More than 1.1 million people have recovered from coronavirus globally, but the time it takes to recover can vary.

Most people will only develop mild symptoms, which usually take a week to recover from, maybe longer. In more serious cases, it could be more than a year.

BBC health correspondent Laura Foster explains recovery times and what you can do to help others.

Image source, PA Media

The UK government continues to talk down the extent of any impending changes to lockdown next week.

Boris Johnson is due to announce plans for England's lockdown on Sunday, but ministers have insisted short term changes to measures will be "modest".

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has told the BBC that "people should not expect big changes" and only "very tentative steps" will be taken first.

He added: "I think it's helpful for people to know the direction in which we're going" but said it was vital to "avoid an uncontrolled second peak".

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

Coronavirus is a disease that has disproportionately affected the older population but even among the over-75s there are many survivors.

Every one of the 13 inpatients on ward 55 at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh has had Covid-19, including 82-year-old Ron Robbie.

How does the health and care system look after older patients when they recover?

Janet Harvey lost six years of her life to World War Two as everything was put on hold for the war effort.

She says six weeks in lockdown doesn't compare.

She has been remembering the day she rushed to George Square to celebrate the end of her war.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Listen again to virus expert Prof Hugh Pennington, who tells Good Morning Scotland it is the same virus and we are experiencing the same problems.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty

John Swinney says testing is absolutely critical to the next stage of the pandemic response.

He says they are hopeful by the middle of the month Scotland will be able to process 8,000 tests a day.

He also says it is important they are handled efficiently and promptly and that they are available where they are needed.

He says one of the issues that has frustrated the Scottish government is when they have had more testing capacity available than has been used.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

The deputy first minister tells Good Morning Scotland he hopes Scotland and the UK can remain in step over lockdown measures.

John Swinney says he was encouraged when he heard the Prime Minister say yesterday that he would proceed with "maximum caution".

He said messages coming from the UK government to English media were "disastrous".