Back to school process begins

Care home visits are set to resume next month

School pupils in East Kilbride and Strathaven returned to classrooms on Monday.

The phased approach saw Pre-school, P1-3 and a limited number of senior students who need to complete coursework go back.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also said there will be an increased provision for vulnerable children – specifically those with the most significant additional support needs – where schools believe this is essential.

However, it is unlikely that there will be a wider return to classrooms before March 15.

Senior phase pupils, teachers and school staff will be able to get at-home lateral flow tests twice a week.

And senior secondary pupils will be required to observe two metre physical distancing while in school, and on school transport, in the period immediately after the return.

But speaking to Parliament,Ms Sturgeon said there wouldn’t be any immediate changes to the lockdown restrictions.

The core stay at home requirement will be in place until at least the beginning of March and possibly for a further period beyond that.

She told the chamber: “We need to balance all the different factors and plan a gradual, phased return to as much normality as possible.

“That is what the government is now focused on doing.

“Because of the new, more infectious variant, our exit from lockdown is likely to be even more cautious than it was last summer.

“Probably for a while yet, 100 per cent normality is unlikely to be possible.”

Ms Sturgeon also said nearly a third of the adult population in Scotland has now been given a first dose of the vaccine.

Almost 95 percent of the 80-plus population have been vaccinated, along with care home residents and staff.

Over 88 per cent of the 70-79 age group were also vaccinated as of February 14.

And she confirmed the government has met its mid-February target to offer the first dose of the vaccine to everyone over 70 and everyone with an extreme clinical vulnerability.

She added: “That is extremely good news. However, expressing it in the way I have just done actually understates the scale of the achievement.

“Vaccination hasn’t simply been offered to everyone in these categories.

“Almost everyone in these groups has had the first dose of the vaccine. Uptake rates have been exceptional.”

But Ms Sturgeon urged people to continue to follow the lockdown rules even if they have had the vaccine.

However, those hoping to get away for an Easter break were warned this was highly unlikely with the hospitality industry here not expected to be opened up by then.

And while ‘staycations’ could be on the cards for summer, foreign holidays look off the agenda.

The Scottish Government also announced at the weekend that routine indoor visiting of care home residents by relatives, friends and carers will be able to resume from early March.

The move has been warmly welcomed and described as a “big step forward” by Age Scotland, the national charity for older people.

Guidelines to support care providers resume visiting will be available this week and residents will be able to have up to two designated visitors each and one visit a week for each visitor.

Age Scotland’s chief executive Brian Sloan said: “It is great news that routine indoor care home visits will soon resume and for many residents and family members it can’t come quick enough. This is a big step forward.

“For the best part of a year residents in care homes have largely been cut off from meaningful contact with loved ones and its impact on their health and wellbeing has been significant.

“Hearing family members talk of the noticeable deterioration in the condition of their loved one and that they feel they are slipping away before them is heartbreaking.”