Leitch: Stadiums could be full of fans from August 10
●Large events in prospect with an end to social distancing, says health leader
Scottish football fans have been told they could be back in full stadiums for matches from August 10.
The Scottish Government’s national clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, has also said music festivals could be back on from the same date under the country’s lockdown easing timetable.
However, he admitted that being definitive about dates was “making him sweat”.
In a recent statement in the Scottish
Parliament, the First Minister said the government wanted the countr y to move to level zero from July 19, withlegalcurbstoendfromaugust9.
Currently football matches and other sports face spectator restrictions, but speaking on the BBC’S Sunday Show Prof Leitch said that, with physical distancing being removed in August, so would limits on sport.
Asked if that meant football fans could return to full stadiums, he said: “They can on August 10th, but we’ve had to learn that new word remember, that ‘indicative’ word.
"So we have given advice that says ‘with a fair wind, the trajectory we are presently on, with vaccinations … we’re currently vaccinating 3,000 people every ten days’… this six weeks buys us quite a lot of vaccine time.
“So if we can get that in, and people come, that’s the important thing that people can do, then, yes, we hope that August 9th/10th can happen.”
Asked again if music festivals and football would be back on, he said: “Yes, but you are making me sweat.”
Plans to remove social distancing on August 10, he said, should be written in “pencil, not Sharpie marker”. “The plan is dependent on where things are,” he said.
"We want to move to level zero as a whole country, removing physical distancing indoors, but keeping a lid
on event size in July. Then on August 9 the level system disappears unless there are particular hot spots and maybe vaccination slows down for some reason – and I’m not expecting that – so it’s a little bit indicative.”
Prof Leitch also said the link between Covid infection cases and hospitalisation had not been broken by vaccination, but the “chain was elongating”.
He said: “That period at Christmas when we opened and got a nasty transmissible variant, Alpha, saw people lose their lives, and now coincidentally when we open again we get another, this time Delta.
"But the difference is vaccination, so we have a weapon which we didn't have last year and so that has changed the equation between cases and hospitalisation.
“We’ve always said look at cases, but also further down the chain. In the morning we get the case number and mid-morning the hospitalisation number, that is becoming more crucial. But we also need to know how long people are in, what age they are, are the progressing to intensive care, and the answer is no in the main.
“So previously 1,000 cases would give you 100 in hospital and ten deaths, a tragic number. Now 1,000 cases probably gets you 30 people in hospital and very low numbers of deaths.”
Prof Leitch said vaccination allowed a “difference in response” to outbreaks and there could be a move away from “isolating cases”.
"Let’s not forget this is still a horrible condition, but the science is beginning to look like we might be able to replace strict contact self isolation maybe with routine testing,” he said.
"There are two big trials going on with 40,000 people, one on travel isolation, one on community isolation, looking at what if we move away from strict self-contact tracing isolation to lateral flow tests every day for ten days.”
He said the trial results could help manage outbreaks in schools. “Over the summer,
before schools go back some decisions will be made about what that isolation might look like,” he said.
"Kids have had their schooling affected for two years now. A third year of that feels unthinkable.”
But he added: “I don't think school age kids will be vaccinated in the summer, but we will get advice. I don't think it will be blanket, I think they will do it by risk as they have previously.”
He was also asked about the revelation that hundreds of Scottish women had wrongly not been called for cervical cancer screening, with one woman known to have developed the cancer and died as a result.
The announcement was made by the Scottish Government on the final day of Holyrood sitting before it broke for summer recess, even though the government knew of the mistake in March.
Asked when he first knew of the issue, Prof Leitch said: "A few months ago when we got the first sign from the audit, 9th March I think, that there were cases that hadn’t followed the process.” ”
Asked if a delay since March had put lives at risk, Prof Leitch said: “When you’re making clinical choices, you have to know what you’re going to say to the women and the scale of the challenge.
"This went back to 1997, complex medical forms, complex notes and we had to be certain – 434 women have been contacted this week, five of whom caused the flag to rise.
"And it’s a horrible thing and I can only imagine the distress and anxiety it has caused, and
I’m deeply sorry on behalf of my clinical colleagues that this has happened to them.”
The Scottish Government has launched an online portal to allow every adult in Scotland to register for a Covid vaccine if they have not had their first dose.
The self-registration system will be open to everyone aged 18 and above who has not yet received a vaccination appointment, or who has missed their first jag for whatever reason. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said it would allow anyone new to Scotland, or who did not have an up-todate address registered, to get a vaccine appointment.
The online portal will be open from 8am today and is being set up after similar systems were used to encourage unpaid carers and adults aged 18 to 29 to sign up.
People who register their details will be able to get either a mobile phone text message or email with details of their appointment, which they can change if it is not suitable.
Mr Yousaf said: "We are absolutely delighted at the success of the rollout in Scotland and the high uptake among the adult population. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the incredibly successful rollout, and of course all those who have taken up their offer of a vaccine.
"Whatever the reason, anyone aged 18 and over who has not yet received a vaccination appointment, we invite them to take the opportunity to selfregister as soon as possible.
"The evidence shows that vaccination is helping to protect people from serious health harms and there is no doubt it is vaccination which offers us the best route out of this pandemic.
"The vaccination programme is available for every adult in Scotland, I urge everyone to take the opportunity to protect themselves, their families and their community."
The online portal is available at: https://www.nhsinform. scot/vaccineregistration.
‘Amazing’ NHS staff to be thanked at special service at St Paul’s
St Paul's Cathedral is to play host to a special service of "commemoration and thanksgiving" for the people who have played a role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.
NHS England said staff will be placed "at the heart" of the socially distanced service in central London on July 5, which coincides with the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of the health service.
Doctors, scientists, vaccine champions and health bosses are all due to be present.
Among those attending will be Dr Ashley Price, a member of the team who treated the first patients with the virus in the country, and May Parsons, who administered the first vaccine outside of a trial.
Rheumatology consultant Dr Perpetual Uke, from Birmingham, who gave birth to twins while in a coma with Covid-19, will have a role in
the service, as will Kathrine Dawson, who also gave birth and was in a coma with the virus and whose baby Ruby was born with it.
NHS England said people from "all faiths and none" will attend the service which will "recognise the dedication and commitment of all those who have played their part in combating coronavirus across the NHS, care sector and beyond".
It will be led by Dr David Ison, dean of St Paul's, and the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally.
Imam Yunus Dudhwala, head of chaplaincy at Barts Health NHS Trust, and representatives of humanist groups will also attend.
They will be joined by Dame Sarah Gilbert, who holds the Said Professorship of Vaccinology at the Jenner Institute and Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and who
co-designed the Oxford/ Astrazeneca vaccine.
Her Oxford University colleague Professor Sir Peter Horby, who helped run the NHS trial that found the effective dexamethasone treatment for Covid-19, will also attend.
Other guests include actor Lydia West and those who helped promote vaccine uptake, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens, NHS England national medical director Professor Stephen Powis, England's chief nursing officer Ruth May and deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Vantam.
Sir Simon said: "Twelve months ago, we all hoped the worst of coronavirus was behind us, but instead amazing NHS staff had to contend with a winter wave of infections even greater than the first.
"They rose to the challenge, not just providing care to coronavirus and other patients but, supported by volunteers and countless others, have also delivered the NHS Covid vaccine programme with unrivalled speed and precision.
He said the service was an opportunity for the country to "reflect on the toll the virus has taken" and "give thanks" to those who "played their full part" in the pandemic.
Dame Sarah said: "In the last year we have felt the loss of connectivity to those we love."the NHS is a demonstration of community and of solidarity in society, between generations, between rich and poor – and between people of diverse cultures and ethnic heritage.
"This solidarity is needed not just for a well functioning society but to enable all human beings to flourish."