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Month: March 2021

First Minister’s Statement 30th March 2021

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

During her COVID-19 media briefing, the First Minister covered the following (30/03/21):

  • The FM confirmed that a further 411 cases of COVID-19 had been reported in the previous 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 210,890. She also noted that 250 people were in hospital, with 23 individuals receiving intensive care. Further, she confirmed that 12 additional deaths had been recorded, taking the total to 7,596. On vaccinations, the FM observed that 2,436,398 people had received the first dose of the vaccine and 338,443 had been given a second dose.
  • The FM noted that despite a significant drop in deaths, there was no room for complacency and that Scotland must remain “hyper vigilant” in the fight against COVID-19.
  • The FM confirmed that the ‘stay at home’ rule was to be lifted from 2 April and would be replaced with advice to ‘stay local’ due to positive vaccination results. She also confirmed that click and collect services, hairdressers, and barbers would be able to resume business from Monday. This, the FM said, would also include campus learning for some students, specifically engineering, beauty, and hairdressing.
  • The First Minister also pointed to upcoming reduced restrictions from 26 April, specifically highlighting the hospitality sector. She noted that all level four areas were expected to move to level three and that all secondary school pupils were expected to return after the Easter Holidays. She added that a full reopening of retail services, a partial reopening of hospitality, and an easing of outdoor gathering restrictions was also expected from this date.
  • The FM closed the briefing in the usual way by reiterating the rules in place and urging Scots to abide by them.
  • During the following questions, Central FM asked if people would continue to face fines for travelling outside their council areas. The FM noted that this would still be the case. The Daily Record raised the subject of international travel in the context of Chile’s increased infection rates. The Chief Medical Officer and National Clinical Director noted that Chile’s experience backed up the Scottish Government’s cautious approach to leaving lockdown. The Daily Mail asked if the current trends could indicate a further reduction in travel restrictions. The FM noted that her approach was guided by the data but that she was hopeful for further progress.

The First Minister confirmed the current Stay at Home rule will be lifted from Friday (2 April) and replaced by a requirement to Stay Local. This means that the current travel restrictions will remain in place for another 3 weeks.

The First Minister hoped further plans for easing restrictions would be confirmed at a media briefing in three weeks’ time. This would include mainland Scotland moving from level 4 to level 3 on 26 April, travel restrictions within the mainland ending, a full reopening of retail premises and a partial reopening of the hospitality sector. It is also hoped it will be possible to ease some of the rules on outdoor meetings from the same date.

The Scottish Government will shortly publish updated levels tables online. They will provide some more information about prospective changes during April, May and into the summer.

Read the Statement.

The NHS Inform coronavirus webpage is the fastest way for people to get the latest health advice and information.

Skye’s Tourism Businesses Need a Minimum Season of 20 Weeks if they are to Survive

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

The results of a SkyeConnect survey of business confidence, following the announcement of plans to re-open the economy, reveal another lockdown could decimate the industry.

Over one hundred businesses from the hotel, self-catering, B&B, campsite, restaurant, arts and crafts, visitor attraction and outdoor activity sectors, took part in the survey with almost 70% saying they need a minimum of a twenty-week season to survive.

The survey also reveals that even with a good summer season, some sectors such as hotels, restaurants, outdoor activities and visitor attractions will need the Furlough Scheme extended through the winter if they are to avoid letting some staff go.

However, there does appear to be a degree of confidence that sufficient holidaymakers will visit Skye this year. 56% of respondents said they were confident of being able to generate sufficient income to justify re-opening.

The survey asked businesses about their reopening plans. The vast majority are planning to reopen in May, although many self-catering businesses are set to reopen in April.

The survey also revealed an eagerness to extend the traditional summer season into late autumn and even through the winter. The majority of businesses responding to the survey said they were either intending to stay open through the winter or considering the option of remaining open.

Chair of SkyeConnect, Dave Till, says the survey shows the tourism industry cannot afford any further interruptions to trading.

“Now that we have a clear roadmap to re-opening, businesses are starting to recruit staff and invest in being able to offer a Covid-safe environment for visitors. We sincerely hope there will be no more lockdowns. Our industry needs at least five months of good trading conditions, just to survive. Beyond that, it is clear that Government support will still be required through the winter months, otherwise we are likely to see a rise in unemployment. SkyeConnect will use the data from this survey to lobby the Government after the election to ensure our fragile island economy and its hundreds of small, family-run businesses get the support they need as we all navigate our way along the long road of recovery out of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

ASSC and PASC UK Publish UK Wide Grant Survey

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

In March 2021, PASC UK and the ASSC gathered data about the various business support grant schemes across the UK, due to many self-catering operators highlighting concerns about the eligibility criteria associated with the grants from the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments in particular, as well as inability to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or Self-Employed Income Support Scheme from the UK Government.

The online survey elicited 1395 responses from self-caterers in England, Scotland and Wales, from both PASC, ASSC members and non-members alike, across the UK’s local authority areas.

59% of responses were from members of PASC UK or the ASSC. 41% of responses were from non-members.

It is hoped that the survey results will inform greater discussion regarding the support provided to self-catering operators in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Key findings include: 

  • A good proportional split of responses were from across the UK, predominantly from rural locations with 47.38% being from England, 38.63% from Scotland and 15.63% from Wales.
  • NOTE: the survey did not extend to operators in Northern Ireland due to limitations in sources for circulation.
  • The majority of self-catering businesses have been running for at least 6 years. A large proportion of self-catering businesses have been running for 11 to 20 years or more, with some operating over 40 years.
  • Over 46% of respondents have either had signs of mental health or are experiencing some form of anxiety or depression, there is evidence of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis being felt across the sector.
  • Currently there is a mixed picture in terms of business confidence, with 38% of respondents being somewhat optimistic and 20% somewhat pessimistic and almost 27% taking a neutral view at the moment, not knowing what to expect.

Download the report:

UK Wide Grant Survey