Thread by @theSNP, First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon and thanks for joining us, as usual.Let [...]

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon and thanks for joining us, as usual.

Let me start, as I always do, with the update on the Covid-19 statistics."

NS: "An additional 16 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That represents 0.4% of people who were newly tested yesterday, and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,500."

NS: "It is worth highlighting that we have changed the reporting of figures on the Scottish Government’s website so that the figures for new cases - including the percentage of positive tests - are now shown more prominently on the main Covid page."

NS: "That website is updated at 2pm each day.

The health board breakdown of today’s cases will be available at 2pm but the provisional information I have is that 4 of today's cases are in Lanarkshire."

NS: "And, more specifically in relation to the outbreak at the Sitel call centre in Lanarkshire, I can confirm that as of this morning, there are a total of 24 positive cases associated with that, an increase of 4 since yesterday."

NS: "That includes 17 people employed at the site, 2 more than yesterday, and 7 contacts, also 2 more than yesterday."

NS: "Given that the virus can have a long incubation period, intensive work is still ongoing in order to ensure that all possible chains of transmission are being closed down."

NS: " I am very grateful to everyone who is working very hard as part of that effort.

I can also report that a total of 287 patients confirmed as having the virus are currently in hospital. That is 8 fewer than yesterday."

NS: "And as of last night, there were just 2 people with confirmed COVID in intensive care in Scotland. That is 1 fewer than yesterday."

NS: "Finally, I am very glad to say that once again, during the past 24 hours, no deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test as having Covid-19. The total number of deaths, under this measure, therefore remains 2,491."

NS: "This is obviously very welcome news. It means that no deaths have been reported in Scotland under this measure during the entirety of the past week - and that just one death in Scotland has been reported over the last 15 days."

NS: "It is exactly four months today since the country went into lockdown. So there's no doubt these figures show the incredible progress that has been made in that time."

NS: "That progress has been hard-won and it has been a very painful journey over these past four months, in particular for those who have lost someone to this virus."

NS: "the number of deaths is still a reminder of the impact of this virus. I want to extend my condolences again today to everyone who is grieving somebody that they loved."

NS: "In addition, I want to thank our health and care workers once again for the work that you continue to do through this really challenging time."

NS: "I have one issue I want to talk about today - which is changes in our advice for people who are shielding.

It is now almost four months since we asked those considered to be at greatest risk from the virus, to shield."

NS: "At that time, there was a high risk that you might be exposed to the virus, and shielding was necessary to keep you safe."

NS: "Together with local government and the third sector, we have been able to put in place support for you while you have been shielding - for example access to free food deliveries if necessary."

NS: "But I know that shielding has also been incredibly difficult - it has separated you from your family and loved ones, it has restricted you in virtually every aspect of your normal lives, and there are obvious potential harms to your mental health from extended isolation."

NS: "For all of those reasons, we’ve always been clear that we won’t ask you to shield longer than you have to.

The infection rate now is much lower than it was in March."

NS: "When shielding started, more than 20% of Covid tests were proving positive, and 150 new cases a day were being reported. Less than a week after shielding started, we were reporting more than 300 new cases a day."

NS: "Today, of course, I've reported 16 new cases. That is 0.4% of people testing newly positive."

NS: "As today’s figures showed, we are now in a very different position to the one we faced back in March. As a result - and as we have previously indicated - some further key changes to our advice will take effect from tomorrow for people who are shielding."

NS: "The information I'm about to give you can be difficult to follow, so all of the changes I'm about to mention are listed in our routemap for shielders, which you can find on the Scottish Government's website."

NS: "From tomorrow, if you are shielding you will be able to meet indoors with up to 8 people from up to 2 other households, as long as physical distancing is in place."

NS: "You will also be able to meet outdoors in groups of up to 15 people from a maximum of 4 other households.

You can use public transport - including taxis - while wearing a face covering."

NS: "You can go to outdoor spaces in pubs and restaurants.

You can go to indoor shops, pharmacies and indoor markets. You can attend hairdressers and barbers. You can visit museums, galleries, libraries, cinemas."

NS: "And children who live with someone who is shielding, can attend formal childcare providers."

NS: "All of these changes I've just mentioned, which you can find more detail on on the website, will take effect from tomorrow."

NS: "Our clinical advisers - who have been closely examining the evidence - have advised us that, as things stand just now, assuming no significant deterioration in the position, we will be able to pause shielding altogether from 1st Aug."

NS: "From that day, the advice for people shielding will be the same as for people who are at heightened risk from Covid - older people, people who receive the flu jab because of a health condition, and people who are pregnant."

NS: "This means from the end of next week, you will be advised to follow the guidance for the general population, but we will ask you to be especially careful about hand hygiene and physical distancing."

NS: "It will also mean that children who have been shielding will be able to return to school in August.

And if you have been staying away from your workplace because you have been shielding, you will also be able to return."

NS: "However, your employer must ensure you can do so safely.

And of course our advice - not simply for shielding people, but for everyone - remains very strongly that you should continue to work from home whenever that is possible."

NS: "I know these changes will be welcome to many of you, but they will also, for many of you, create a great deal of anxiety because you have been living in such a restricted way for so long, and you will worry about going back to normal."

NS: "So we are not asking you to stop being careful, and we do not want you to feel under pressure to do anything that you think is unsafe. In fact, we want to do everything we can to help you feel as safe as possible."

NS: "Last month, I indicated that we were looking to develop a range of information and tools to help each of you to make informed decisions on how to stay safe."

NS: "We are providing a range of advice on returning to employment, and schools. The guidance for schools will be published on 30 July."

NS: "For those of you who are in employment, we have developed a risk assessment tool. This will be available from Monday. It will help your employer understand the adjustments they need to make to help you feel safe."

NS: "We are also providing information on what activities are safer than others, and how to undertake them."

NS: "We have developed advice on risk factors and practical information on how to stay safe during everyday activities like going to the shops, visiting friends and families, or using public transport."

NS: "You also told us in feedback that you would find it helpful to know what the infection rates are in your local areas."

NS: "So we are developing a Covid forecasting service for people who have been shielding. It will allow you to sign up to an SMS update that tells you about your risk of being exposed to Covid in your local area."

NS: "And although the food box scheme is ending, you will continue to access priority supermarket delivery slots if you need them, and if you have registered for this service by the end of this month."

NS: "You will also be able to go to your Local Authority for support for food provision."

NS: "We will also keep open our Shielding SMS service, and our national helpline.

Finally, we are continuing our work to keep you safe after 1 August."

NS: "We are strengthening the evidence base about who may need to shield again in the future.

We are continuing our surveys and research to understand your experiences, and to offer support that has value to you."

NS: "And we will set out the kind of steps we might need to take should there be a spike of infections in the future.

We are changing our guidance now because the infection rate is low now."

NS: "But we will continue to monitor this, and if things take a significant turn for the worse - whether nationally, or in your local area - we will take the steps we need to in order to keep you safe."

NS: "In particular we will contact you, and we will give you clear advice on what to do if we are asking you to do anything different."

NS: "Before I end, I want to thank everyone who has been shielding. You have had to remain in your house and largely apart from other people - even other people in your own household - for months now."

NS: "That has been incredibly tough. It's easy for me to say that, when the reality is I actually find it hard to fully imagine just how difficult that must have been."

NS: "But by doing so, you have protected yourselves, you've reassured your loved ones, and you've helped our health and care services. So, a sincere and heartfelt thank-you, from me, to each of you for that."

NS: "I also want to say a few words to people who are not shielding."

NS: "Many of you have been actively involved in support for people who are shielding: as family and friends, carers, volunteers, council workers, delivery drivers, health and social care professionals, supermarkets and wholesalers, and a whole host of other people."

NS: "My thanks to all of you for that too."

NS: "Secondly, if you are an employer or a school, we need you to work closely with people who have been shielding, in order to take the necessary steps to keep them safe but also to assure them that you'll keep them safe."

NS: "Please do that, reach out to people who've been shielding, to understand their needs and provide that help."

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