News in brief

● Angus became one of the first councils in Scotland to reconvene in an online “Cobra-style” summit. In a publicly-accessible full council meeting on the Zoom video platform on Thursday, a series of emergency measures were agreed and special committees set up to make quick decisions on important issues during the pandemic.

● Fife Pride, which had been due to take place in Kirkcaldy on July 4, has been cancelled.

● A voyage to celebrate 10 years of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 will now be a cyber circumnavigation. RowAround Scotland 2020 was due to begin on Saturday, with rowers expected to complete a 1,000-mile trip. Participants from each leg of the planned voyage are now being asked to share their memories, stories and archive photos of the landscapes online. The content will be published on rowaround.scot

● Care service watchdogs Scottish Social Services Council are to restrict full reporting of disciplinary hearings against sanctioned staff. A statement from the Dundee-based body said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic we’ll publish decisions to impose a sanction on a worker’s registration. “However, we won’t publish the full notice of decision which details the reasons for that decision. “These can generate negative publicity, which is unhelpful at a time when services are experiencing unprecedented pressure.”

● NHS Fife has launched a new website to keep patients informed about local health and social care services. Services across the country have been scaled back to enable the NHS to respond to coronavirus. This has led to the cancellation of all but the most urgent procedures and changes to a number of crucial services. The new website, which can be accessed at coronavirus.nhsfife.org, brings together a range of information about local healthcare services.

● Perth Racecourse has announced the cancellation of all races until the end of June. The track will honour tickets with a direct transfer to 2021 or a refund. The course previously said races, including Perth Festival, would be cancelled to the end of April.

● Balhousie Care Group has launched a smartphone app that gives the group’s 1,400 staff immediate and on-the-go access to company news, tips and guidelines, surrounding coronavirus. Developed in 10 days, the app features coronavirus FAQs, a weekly staff newsletter, and how-to’s on subjects like hand-washing and putting on personal protection equipment.