Summary

  • Scots urged to 'stick with' lockdown rules for now

  • The first phase in easing lockdown restrictions in Scotland is likely to be next Thursday

  • 'Path still not clear' for Scottish schools to reopen

  • Chocolate egg 'mountain' needs to be given away

  • NHS Highland investigating new confirmed case of Covid-19 on Skye

  • Health and care workers in Scotland are to be recruited for a vaccine trial

  • Scottish charity that runs bereavement helpline says the pandemic is causing "acute levels of grief"

  1. Today's headlinespublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    As we bring our live coverage to a close, here is a reminder of Friday's main headlines:

    • A further 24 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in Scotland, taking the total by that measure to 2,245 deaths.
    • The death toll across the UK rises to 36,393, an increase of 351 since yesterday.
    • Anyone entering the UK from 8 June will have to self-isolate for 14 days, with exceptions made for medical professionals, seasonal agricultural workers and road haulage and freight workers.
    • Up to 100,000 jobs in the tourism industry in Scotland could be lost over the next few months, according to Mark Crothall from Scottish Tourism Alliance.
    • Nicola Sturgeon urges people to "stick with" the lockdown restrictions over the coming bank holiday weekend, stressing that nothing will change until next Thursday, 28 May, at the earliest.
    • The first minister confirms people will be free to meet up with more than one other household - but only one at a time - when phase one of lockdown easing begins.
    • Plans for pupils to return to school part-time in August could "fall to bits" without the support of employers, a parents' organisation has warned.
    • Scotland is "very close" to reaching its capacity for 15,500 tests a day, while 660 of the targeted 2,000 contact tracers are in place with "around 750" at various stages of the appointment and training process.

    We'll be back with more live coverage in the morning. Have a good evening.

  2. Staff at care home with major Covid outbreak 'weren't offered testing'published at 18:52 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    BBC Scotland has learned some staff working in a care home with a major outbreak of Covid-19 were not offered testing by NHS Lanarkshire.

    It was announced at the start of May that all staff in care homes where there were cases should be checked.

    But no such offer was made to workers without symptoms at Whitehills care home in East Kilbride - where at least 19 residents have died.

    Care home workers pay their respects at the the funeral of a residentImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Many care homes across Scotland have experienced multiple deaths of residents from Covid-19

    NHS Lanarkshire insists it has followed official guidance and is "prioritising the clinical and public health needs of new outbreaks at care homes and new cases of Covid-19 infections in residents and members of staff".

    But the GMB union's Gary Smith says staff at Whitehills and in other parts of Scotland have been let down.

    "The system feels dysfunctional and something has fallen down between the Scottish government and the local health authority," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "If we don't get testing right, residents' lives are going to be compromised and of course there is a huge risk to staff and their families when they go home."

  3. Do other countries have quarantine rules?published at 18:47 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Reality Check

    The UK isn't the only country to introduce quarantine for international travellers. Fourteen-day quarantine rules apply in destinations including Spain, Italy, Greece, Canada, the UAE, Australia and New Zealand.

    Many have introduced screening measures such as temperature checks, and entry restrictions, external. Some have banned most foreign visitors, as in Spain, external, where only UK citizens with permanent resident status can enter.

    Click here to read more about how the UK’s quarantine measures will work.

  4. What does the 14-day quarantine period mean for summer holidays?published at 18:40 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    Airport passengersImage source, Reuters
    Quote Message

    Priti Patel's announcement has completely traumatised the entire travel industry, basically. They were expecting bad news, but they thought it would be bad news towards the beginning of June. They have effectively lost another week. The measures won't even be reviewed until 29 June, at the earliest. Jet2, which flies thousands of people from Scotland to sunshine destinations, has cancelled everything in June, while Tui, which was going to resume things on 12 June, is not going to do that now. It has basically wiped out the first half of the summer holidays, and the travel industry is now desperate to see if it is going to be possible to have any meaningful break in the second half, sometime in July, or possibly going into August."

    Simon Calder, BBC Travel Editor

  5. Coronavirus map: How many confirmed cases are there in your area?published at 18:33 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    positive Covid testImage source, Getty Images

    There have been more than 250,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK and more than 36,000 people have lost their lives, government figures show.

    However, these numbers only include people who have been tested, and the total number of deaths relating to coronavirus is thought to be higher.

    Two different measures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest bigger figures.

    Find out here how many people have confirmed cases in your area.

  6. 'This is a kind of halfway house...taking the individual at their word'published at 18:24 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    uk border

    The new 14-day quarantine measures being imposed on UK arrivals from 8 June are a "kind of halfway house", according to Dr Nick McKerrell, a lecturer in public law and human rights at Glasgow Caldedonian University.

    "Without any testing, everyone has to volunteer an address, then they are released into the community, with the authorities taking them at their word that they will stay there.

    "In other countries, you might have to stay in an airport hotel or there might be mobile phone tracing. This is a kind of halfway house, relying on the individual's behaviour.

    "It's very invasive, presumably handing over power for your home to be entered, but civil liberties can be set aside in a crisis like this to stop the spread of infectious diseases.

    "There won't be the resources to check on everyone so it will have to be random spot checks, then it becomes a gamble with the person asking 'am I going to get caught for this or not?'"

  7. Analysis: Why bring in quarantine now?published at 18:12 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Helen Catt
    Political correspondent

    The big question being asked about quarantine is: why now?

    The government argues that it simply wouldn't have made enough of a difference while the virus was spreading widely within the UK.

    But it hasn't, so far, fully explained why such a blanket measure was not introduced much earlier in the outbreak, before the virus took hold.

    People returning from Wuhan city and Hubei province in China were put into isolation for 14 days from late January.

    Later, those returning from Italy were told to self-isolate.

    But the measure was not extended to travellers from every country.

    There are also questions about how this will work in practice and what it will mean for the travel industry, which is already suffering huge losses.

  8. '100,000 jobs could go in Scottish tourism'published at 17:58 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    UK touristImage source, Getty Images

    Tourism bosses say the 14-day quarantine for UK arrivals is just the latest blow to the industry.

    With one in 12 jobs in Scotland linked to the sector, Mark Crothall from Scottish Tourism Alliance is suggesting that up to 100,000 posts could be lost over the next few months.

    He told BBC Radio Scotland the industry is busy working on an agreement for protocols on ways of working, but acknowledges that even the best-case scenario will mean a late start in August.

    Around 70% of visitors to Scotland are from within the UK and that number is set to rise once hotels, holiday rentals and camp sites reopen but Mr Crothall warns it will take "many months to get back to where we were".

  9. 'UK is behind the curve on quarantining'published at 17:42 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    UK Border Force

    The SNP's Joanna Cherry has described the timing of the UK government's announcement on quarantining measures for people entering the UK as "very odd".

    The Border Force is to carry out checks and may refuse entry to any non-British citizen who refuses to comply with the regulations and isn’t resident in the UK.

    Ms Cherry, the SNP's spokeswoman on home affairs, said: "As usual, the UK is behind the curve and out of step with international best practice.

    "Other countries have had public health measures in place at their airports and ports for months and indeed some are now in a position to ease these controls.

    "The result is that hundreds of thousands of people have already arrived in the UK without any public health measures in place at ports of entry, to the annoyance and bemusement of the British public.

    “Priti Patel needs to fully explain the scientific advice underlying her inaction to date and the action she now intends to take."

  10. Rules will be 'strictly' enforced - Border Force chiefpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Pail Lincoln

    The Border Force's Paul Lincoln discusses his organisation's work on tackling criminality during the pandemic.

    He says his officers have acted to intercept counterfeit face masks and Covid-19 tests and deal with "abhorrent" attempts to exploit the most vulnerable, as well as seizing drug shipments.

    Turning to the new measures, he lists those who will be exempt, saying they will include those who are vital to the UK's national security and critical infrastructure.

    He says he expects the vast majority of people arriving in the UK to "do the right thing" but stresses that his organisation won't stop from enforcing the rules strictly.

    It is critical that the UK uses all the levers at its disposal, while protecting the economy, including the travel sector, he adds.

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  11. 14-day quarantine for most UK arrivalspublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 22 May 2020
    Breaking

    Priti Patel

    Priti Patel says new measures are to be introduced at the UK border to guard against a second wave of infections.

    Anyone entering the UK, from 8 June, will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

    The home secretary says there is a risk that people visiting the UK over the summer or returning from holidays abroad might bring the virus with them.

    With the infection rate in the UK falling, imported cases could pose a "larger threat" going forward, she says, and action is needed to manage the risk of transmission this way.

    Those arriving from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man will be exempt, while others excluded are the medical professionals helping to treat the virus and seasonal agricultural workers staying on the farms where they are working.

  12. 'An army of carers on the march' for better conditionspublished at 17:11 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    "There's an army of carers on the march and they are going to demand that they are properly looked after," says Gary Smith of the GMB union. "We cannot go back to where we were."

    This week, HC-One, one of the UK’s largest care home providers, agreed to give full pay to workers self-isolating as they wait to be tested for coronavirus.

    Meanwhile, the Scottish government is backing a Labour amendment for a special fund for home care workers who fall into hardship during the pandemic.

    "The Scottish government produced a fair work report on care over a year ago that said there was a huge problem with low pay and insecure employment," Mr Smith told BBC Radio Scotland. "The whole system was in crisis going into Covid-19 and what this has laid bear is the levels of exploitation of low-earning women workers in the sector.

    "They have been let down on PPE, they have been let down on testing and let down on pay and conditions. Workers should not be afraid of being sent home if they are ill because they can't feed their families."

  13. UK government coronavirus briefing under waypublished at 17:07 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    UK government Home Secretary Priti Patel

    Home Secretary Priti Patel is delivering the UK government's daily coronavirus briefing.

    She reveals that 36,393 people have now died across the UK in all settings, from the virus, an increase of 351 since yesterday.

    We'll bring you further updates shortly or you can follow the whole briefing here.

  14. Having Covid vaccine 'was just like going to get a flu jab'published at 17:01 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
    BBC Radio Scotland

    University of Oxford Trials ClinicImage source, Getty Images

    There are 250 health and care workers being recruited in Scotland to take part in a Covid-19 vaccine trial.

    The workers, aged between 18 and 55, will receive either the vaccine or a licenced meningitis vaccine, that will be used as a control.

    The trial is being led here by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Glasgow University, in support of a wider vaccine trial being held by Oxford University.

    Linda Guthrie had the vaccine as part of the first wave of the trial.

    She told BBC Radio Scotland it involved a "really lengthy stage of medical checks" to ensure participants were healthy enough and understood what was expected of them.

    "We know we can pull out at any time; they told us about the risks and how they could support us," Ms Guthrie explained.

    "I was a bit nervous but the vaccination itself was really underwhelming; no fireworks, no choir of angels. It was just like going to get a flu jab."

    Quote Message

    If you had told me in January I would be having an experimental, untested vaccine injected into me, I wouldn’t have believed you. But we are all making decisions now that we wouldn’t believe possible a few months ago

    Linda Guthrie

  15. Overseas nationals allowed to stay in UK until Julypublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Overseas nationals in the UK who cannot return home due to the pandemic will be granted visa extensions until the end of July, the Home Office has announced.

    The measure will apply to people whose leave expired after 24 January and who cannot leave the country because of travel restrictions or self-isolation.

    But those currently in the UK on temporary visas, such as visitor visas, should return home as soon as it is safe and possible to do so, the department added.

    People affected need to contact a coronavirus immigration team by using an online form.

    The Home Office said "no immigration enforcement action will be undertaken during this time" for those who contact the team to notify them their visa has expired - while some requirements, like visa sponsors, will be waived.

  16. What was the main message from Nicola Sturgeon today?published at 16:37 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Brian Taylor
    BBC Scotland Political Editor

    Nicola Sturgeon
    Quote Message

    The first minister was was keen to stress, again and again, that the first phase of lockdown easing hasn’t happened yet. If it does happen, it happens from 28 May. The current lockdown remains in place, and the one thing that would slow down progress towards easing it is to take the brakes off far too rapidly. I also liked the point she clarified that you will be allowed to meet people from another household outside, as long as it is one at a time, but it doesn’t limit you to one household. So no big house parties or garden parties, but you don’t have to choose just one set of buddies. You can move from one to another. Try to limit the travel, stay local. She said 'OK, the five-mile limit is not a rigid rule, you won’t be stopped by the police, but try to stay local because we don’t really want you to go indoors'. There has been a reluctant acquiescence from the business elements, even though the construction industry had hoped to go a lot more quickly than this. But Nicola Sturgeon is adamant she has to go at the carefully caveated pace that will not allow the virus to regroup."

  17. Five things will not change next week, they are ...published at 16:25 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

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  18. Pro14 aims for August return behind closed doorspublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    Edinburgh v Glasgow WarriorsImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Edinburgh and Glasgow could meet again before the summer is out

    Rugby Union's Pro14 hopes to resume on 22 August with a series of behind closed doors matches.

    The league's resumption will see teams from the same nation play against each other before the season is concluded via semi-finals and a final.

    It is hoped that the 2020-21 campaign can begin in October.

    Read more

  19. Tune in to Drivetimepublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme is under way, with Fiona Stalker at the helm.

    We'll hear from a woman who is taking part in a coronavirus vaccine trial, ask whether health boards have misconstrued the policy of testing in care homes, and look at sex in the time of lockdown.

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  20. Ikea stores in Scotland to remain shut as company confirms reopening plans in England and NIpublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 22 May 2020

    IkeaImage source, Getty Images

    Ikea stores in Scotland are to remain closed, while the company has said 19 stores across England and Northern Ireland will reopen.

    The partial reopening will begin from 1 June and social distancing wardens will patrol stores to help shoppers and ensure they keep their distance.

    But families will be banned, with Ikea saying it will allow one adult and one child per household inside the store at any one point.

    As well as Scotland, stores in Wales and the Republic of Ireland will remain closed, the company added.