Image source, Getty Images

Seven cabin crew workers who lost their jobs when the airline Flybe went out of business have been recruited as Covid-19 call handlers for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

They will ease pressure on the service by answering calls from people ringing 999 but with non-life-threatening symptoms.

David Robertson, deputy director at the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “In this particular role, they will be one of the first voices patients hear.

"They will be ideally suited to this role as they are all skilled at dealing with high-pressured calls.”

New recruit Céline Cres said: “This is a really tough time for everyone and I am so pleased to be able to support the service in this way."

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to reveal the future of the government's job retention scheme later, amid growing calls to extend it.

• Read more here

Image source, Reuters

Here's what else is happening on the Covid-19 political agenda today.

• 12.30pm: Scottish government coronavirus briefing

• 2.05pm: Topical questions: Easing Lockdown divergence of guidance in England and Scotland, coronavirus attacks on police officers and a call for clarity on testing people leaving hospital going to care homes
• 2.20pm (In reality much later!): The Scottish government debateon the next phase in suppressing the Covid-19 virus– again focusing on the different approaches to lockdown in England and Scotland
• 5pm: UK government coronavirus briefing

Image source, Orkney Distilling

The owners of an Orkney gin distillery have donated hand sanitiser to the RNLI after repurposing some of their equipment.

The spray is going to all 46 lifeboat stations around the coast of Scotland.

Kirkwalll-based Orkney Distilling co-owner Stephen Kemp said the family decided to make the alcohol-based hand sanitiser due to the extent of the need for it.

Dupre Strutt, the RNLI lifesaving manager for Orkney and Caithness, said: "We’re very grateful - it’s great to see businesses and communities coming together to support their volunteer crews."

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

Image source, bbc

Cancer charities are calling for an urgent plan from the Scottish government to safely restart cancer services disrupted by Covid-19.

The coronavirus response has seen screening programmes paused,urgent referrals for diagnosis dropping sharply and surgery suspended for many cancer patients.

Specialists have voiced concerned about the long-term impact on survival.

Hospitals have had to change the way they deliver remaining services.

The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh has managed to keep about 80-90% of non-surgical treatment going through the pandemic.

Read more from Lisa here.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Convener Murdo Fraser asks why a second bill is necessary given regulations are starting to be relaxed.

• The once-a-day exercise limit was removed yesterday, but the stay at home message remains in place in Scotland.

Mr Russell says the regulations may change in the coming weeks, but the powers in the bill will be required for some time while there continues to be major disruption.

"I hope this will be the last bill," he adds.

He points to outstanding issues which still need to be dealt with such as jury trials. He highlights Lady Dorrian is taking forward a judicially-led group to look at this.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a rundown of developments from around the world:

• The Chinese city of Wuhan is drawing up plans to test its entire population of 11 million people for Covid-19, state media report
• In South Korea, some 101 people have now tested positive for the virus after a cluster outbreak linked to a nightclub district in the capital, Seoul. The new spike comes after the government began relaxing social-distancing rules
• A fire at a hospital in St Petersburg, Russia has killed five coronavirus patients in an intensive care unit. The blaze was apparently started by a short circuit in a ventilator
• All mosques in Iran are due to reopen temporarily on Tuesday, as part of the government's plan to ease coronavirus restrictions. They will be open for three days to commemorate specific nights during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
• Meanwhile, many countries in Europe are continuing to lift lockdown restrictions; we have the details here
• The UK government has published further guidance on reopening workplaces, public transport and schools in England
• The guidance in Scotland remains the same: "Stay At Home, Protect The NHS, Save Lives"

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell explains reporting on the second Coronavirus Bill is identical to the first and it is due to expire on 30 September 2020, with the possibility of renewing it twice.

The royal assent process for this bill will be expedited to ensure measures are operational from Thursday 28 May.

He confirms the Scottish government aims to pay the coronavirus carers' allowance from June.

Here are the key elements of the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Bill, external:

• a proposed additional £19.2 million investment in Carer’s Allowance Supplement
• the introduction of notice to leave periods for students in purpose-built student accommodation and halls of residence
• additional protections for those facing bankruptcy.
• there are also recommended legislative changes in areas including non-domestic rates relief, proceeds of crime and the wider operation of Scotland’s criminal justice system

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Forde, from NSPCC Scotland, said that while many families take it for granted they have enough resources to stimulate children, for others that is not the case.

Many were struggling with the basic necessities of having enough money and food to feed the family, he said.

The charity runs a toy library, but the coronavirus outbreak had made it more difficult to run such initiatives, he told Kaye Adams on BBC Radio Scotland.

Toys have to be cleaned and put in quarantine for a week before they can return to the toy library, he said.

An RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) group based in Scotland is to temporarily move from Lossiemouth in Moray to Leuchars in Fife.

QRA crews at Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire intercept unidentified aircraft approaching UK airspace.

Recent incidents have included Russian military planes near UK airspace.

The Lossiemouth group's move to Fife later this year is to allow for a major revamp of Moray station's runway.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has written to the UK defence minister over concerns about the movement of contractors working at RAF Lossiemouth.

The SNP MSP says residents in the town have expressed concern about the use of local hotels, B&Bs, shops and takeaways amid the coronavirus outbreak, if they are travelling to and from the area to work.

The MoD said it understood local concerns, but essential defence projects - including ongoing runway work at RAF Lossiemouth - must continue.

It stressed the MoD and its contractors would continue to ensure mitigation measures such as social distancing take place.

Here's where to find the latest advice in Scotland...

1. NHS Inform, external

The latest from NHS Scotland and the Scottish government, including social distancing and stay at home advice.

2. Ready Scotland, external

Staying at home does not mean you are alone - there are many ways you can help your community.

3. Citizens Advice Scotland, external

Providing advice on benefits and employment rights.

4. Business Support, external

The latest advice and support for businesses.

5. Parent Club, external

Useful information on how to cope with home schooling and keeping your family safe.

6. Clear Your Head, external

Scottish government advice on how to improve our mental health at this difficult time.

7. Coronavirus (COVID-19): public use of face coverings, external

The Scottish government advises face coverings should be used in supermarkets and on public transport.

8. Helpline for those at high risk of coronavirus:0800 111 4000: 9am to 5pm

Image source, Getty Images

The lockdown has made life more difficult for children who were already facing problems at home, according to NSPCC Scotland.

The charity's Matt Forde said some families were already vulnerable and children were at risk before the pandemic - and that situation had now worsened.

At the same time, the lockdown has made these children "invisible" to agencies that might in normal times be able to support them, he told Kaye Adams, on BBC Radio Scotland.

Image source, BBC/Scottish Parliament

The COVID-19 Committee is taking evidence on emergency measures to protect people facing financial hardship and allow public services to operate effectively.

Here are the key elements of the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Bill, external:

• a proposed additional £19.2 million investment in Carer’s Allowance Supplement
• the introduction of notice to leave periods for students in purpose-built student accommodation and halls of residence
• additional protections for those facing bankruptcy.
• there are also recommended legislative changes in areas including non-domestic rates relief, proceeds of crime and the wider operation of Scotland’s criminal justice system

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

Image source, Getty Images

The furlough scheme was easy to introduce, though eye-wateringly expensive to pay for 6.4 million people to do no work.

It'll be much more difficult to withdraw, and the costs won't go away quickly.

And for the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, who announces his plans for the future of the furlough scheme later today, withdrawing support for the economy will have to be aligned with support for boosting demand as the economy is allowed to reopen.

Read more from Douglas here.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

The first minister thanked the children of Scotland for sticking to lockdown rules in her televised address yesterday evening.

Nicola Sturgeon said: "Not being at school, or seeing your friends, or hugging your grandparents is really tough. But you have handled it brilliantly. I’m so proud of all of you."

Image source, Getty Images

Child psychologist Ruth Coppard explains children will often try to protect their parents at times of stress, including not talking about an issue if they think that is helpful.

But this means they are not talking about their own fears, she says. She also says the worry about catching Covid-19 will have a particular impact on anxious children.

She said: "You get the impression as soon as you walk out the building, if you're not lucky, you'll catch something from somebody walking the other way and then have a very horrid experience.

"It means the children who are naturally anxious and sensitive will take that on board and get really scared."

The COVID-19 Committee is underway, although with audio only -there are no pictures yet. The Scottish Parliament team are working to resolve this, but business is underway and you can listen here with us.

MSPs are looking at the Scottish government's second coronavirus-related legislation – the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No. 2) Bill, external.

The purpose of the new bill is to make further changes to the way essential public services operate, to provide more support for business and to assist central and local government and health and social care services to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSPs will take evidence from:

• Michael Clancy and Gillian Mawdsley from the Law Society of Scotland
• and then from Constitution Secretary Mike Russell and Luke McBratney from the Scottish government

• Here's the committee papers, external
• SPICE Briefing on the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No 2) Bill 12 May 2020, external

Former governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has said the chancellor should not reduce the coronavirus furlough scheme until the economy has recovered further.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to reveal the future of the government's job retention scheme later. Currently more than six million people are having up to 80% of their wages paid by the government while they are temporarily on leave from their jobs.

Lord King cautioned against reducing payments to 60% rather than 80%.

"I don't think it makes sense to regard this as the major cost of the Covid-19 crisis in economic terms," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He said the payments would lead to a rise in national debt but said "we can finance that over a long period".

Lord King said: "The real cost of this shutdown is not measured by the impact on the public finances but by the lost incomes and outputs in the economy - a cost which is likely to end up as an order of magnitude (though no one can really know this) of several hundred billion pounds. That's an enormous cost."