Benefits
About
News
Events
Resources
Forum
Your account

Category: Guidance

COVID-19 or Other Illness on the Premises

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

In the event that a guest develops symptoms whilst staying away from home, they should immediately book a test through NHS Inform or, if they can’t get online by phoning 0800 028 2816.

In accordance with Test and Protect, people with symptoms are required to self-isolate and book a test, and whilst awaiting this test result, everyone in their household should isolate. If the test is negative, everyone can end isolation. If the test is positive, the index case (or person who has tested positive for Covid) should continue to self-isolate and the NHS Test and Protect team will be in touch to start contact tracing. The household/close contacts should also self-isolate whilst awaiting a PCR test and depending on their age, vaccination status and whether they have any symptoms, they will be given advice on self-isolation through Test and Protect as appropriate.

If guests who are isolating can travel home safely to isolate, avoiding the use of public transport, they should do this.  In the event that this is not possible, if guests are able to isolate safely in holiday / temporary accommodation, this may be advisable.  If such an extended stay is necessary, unless otherwise provided for in the contractual terms of the booking, the guest will be expected to pay the costs of an extended stay in all but exceptional circumstances. Those who test positive for coronavirus should not travel by public transport or take a flight. If possible, they would be able to drive themselves home.  If the guest is either unable to travel home safely or to isolate within their current accommodation (for example if there are shared facilities, or risks cannot be mitigated to protect staff), the guest should discuss this with the NHS Test and Protect team. The guest may be signposted to the National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000 if they need help to isolate and cannot arrange it themselves or through friends and family.

In some circumstances further discussion may be required with the local Health Protection Team and local authority to ensure that the person has suitable accommodation to isolate safely and effectively.

After the required period of self-isolation, guests and anyone else in their party who has been affected can then return to their main place of residence.

Non-coronavirus illness

If visitors become unwell (with non-coronavirus symptoms) while on holiday in Scotland, they should refer to the NHS inform website for self-management advice, information about medical services available locally, and other information about how they can access services. Depending on the nature of the illness a number of different services are available.

Local community pharmacies are a very useful first stop for any health advice, treatment of minor ailments or injuries. If necessary patients can also be seen as a temporary resident by the local GP practice. Please phone the GP practice first before attending.  If you need to be seen by a doctor or another member of the team e.g. a practice nurse, the practice may offer you a telephone consultation or a video consultation. Depending on the problem they might advise you to attend the local Minor Injury Unit or Emergency/ Accident and Emergency department.

If you are visiting from another part of the UK, you may also be able to contact your own GP practice who may be able to offer you a telephone or video consultation, depending on the nature of the problem.

If the medical issue occurs “out of hours” after 6 pm in the evening to 8 am in the morning and over the weekends, and is not an emergency, then please call 111 for advice. They will put you in touch with the local out of hours GP service if necessary.

In an emergency (for example suspected heart attack or stroke, breathing difficulties or severe bleeding) patients should dial 999 which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Update to Restrictions and Guidance for Tourist Accommodation and Attractions

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

From 27 December, tourist accommodation (including hotels, hostels, boarding or guest houses, members clubs and bed and breakfast accommodation providers) and indoor tourist attractions will be required to:

  • Implement one metre physical distancing between groups of customers in tourist accommodation and indoor tourist attractions. Business and premises should bear in mind that this may impact their capacity limit. Current guidance advises customers to limit their groups to a maximum of three households.
  • Implement table service for food and drink in tourism accommodation and indoor attractions where alcohol is sold for consumption, or consumed, on the premises. Ordering at a bar is permitted if table service is not practical in the premises. In this case, a queuing system with physical distancing should in place and customers must return to their table to consume any food or drink.  Table service does not apply where alcohol is not served or consumed on the premises.  Buffet services in tourist accommodation for breakfast and other meals are permitted if a queuing system with physical distancing is in place and customers return to their table.

Self-catering / exclusive use accommodation is not included in the requirement to implement physical distancing.  

A group is defined as two or more members of the same household, or of a group formed of more than one household attending the premises together.   The strong advice is that people should not meet in groups of more than three households.  

Accommodation providers should take reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing between self-defined groups in spaces such as shared dining areas, lounges, shared kitchens, hallways / entrance areas and in the case of hostels – shared dormitory rooms.

In addition to the above, premises in the tourism and hospitality sector should continue to observe ongoing baseline measures, such as wearing of face coverings when not seated in hospitality, recording customer contact details and observing good hygiene practices throughout premises.

The previous advice on covid on the premises and test and protect and specific Q&A on face coverings was included in the previous iteration of the guidance and remains unchanged. 

Q.  Do guests have to wear a face covering in shared sleeping accommodation – such as a dormitory room in a hostel? 
A.  No, this is not required as the sleeping accommodation would only be accessible to those who are occupying the dormitory or bedroom. 
Q.  Do guests have to wear a face covering in a hotel room or suite? 
A.  No, as this space would only be accessible to those occupying the bedroom or suite.
Q.  Do guests have to wear a face covering in a communal space (toilets, lounges, kitchens or dining spaces) within a hotel, hostel, guest house or B&B? 
A: Yes, if members of the general public (non-guests) have access then they would be required to do so, unless eating or drinking.  Accommodation providers with staff on-site (for example hotels, hostels etc.) also have discretion to recommend the use of face coverings in communal areas where members of the public (non-guests) do not have access (for example, lounge areas, kitchens, bathrooms).  This may be advisable in busy or crowded spaces where guests congregate outside of shared bedrooms and dormitories. 

Read More

Further Scottish Government Restrictions to Tackle Covid-19

Posted on by Fiona Campbell

 The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced additional steps to help control the omicron variant of Covid-19 in Scotland. These measures were largely concentrated on the events and hospitality sector.

 
In her statement, the First Minister reiterated guidance on reducing the number of contacts to no more than three households in indoor settings. However, this remains advice and is not statutory. We therefore direct you to our previous statement of 20thDecember in terms of refunds.
 
We of course understand that some of your guests have already chosen to cancel bookings, or may be inclined to do so in light of developments, and you will be keen to understand if any financial support from government will be available.
 
The Scottish Government have released some limited details of funding packages for affected sectors. The £100m Covid support fund announced last week includes £3m for the tourism sector that will be delivered by Visit Scotland, to support businesses that their previous funds allowed. Today, the First Minister announced a further £275m of support, which draws on funding from HM Treasury, but full details of this have yet to be provided. The Scottish Government have stated that “an update will be provided on the breakdown and allocation of funding as soon as possible.”
At the present time, we have no idea what any future funding packages will look like.
 
The ASSC will continue to collate evidence of the impact of the guidance on our sector and will engage with the Scottish Government and STERG. Please bear with us and we will endeavour to keep you updated as much as possible.
 
Background
 
A full copy of the First Minister’s speech of 21st December can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-21-december-2021/
 
The updated rules and guidance relating to Covid-19 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-safe-and-protecting-others/

 

During her COVID-19 update today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon covered the following (21/12/21):

  • The FM confirmed that 5,242 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in the last 24 hours. She also confirmed that 515 people were in hospital. She also noted that there were 37 people in ICUs and that 9 deaths had occurred, bringing the total to 9,790. Of those cases identified, 62.9 percent of cases had been found to be of the Omicron variant. The FM noted an acceleration in the booster vaccine programme, observing that well over half of the population had received a booster.
  • The FM outlined the impact that Omicron is having on sectors including the health service, social care, entertainment, and others, stressing its severity and the need for action.
  • The FM noted that the advice for Christmas will not change. However, she reiterated the advice previously given on keeping safe during gatherings. The FM urged Scots, from December 27, to limit their numbers of contacts, stay socially distant, and stay at home as much as possible. She also outlined new rules. From December 26, for a period of up to three weeks, a limit would be placed on large public events:
    • The limits will be 100 attendees at indoor standing events, 200 at indoor seated events, and 500 for outdoor events.
  • Turning to hospitality, the FM noted further “protections” that will be introduced. This will include mandatory table services and one meter social distancing between groups and no more than three households represented in any one group. She confirmed that eligibility and guidance for hospitality would be published later today. Further, she noted an extra £375million of business support would be provided, drawing together money from the Scottish Government’s own resources and HM Treasury funding.
  • In the following questions, both the Labour and Conservative leaders urged the FM to get funding to businesses as quickly as possible. The FM reiterated her plans and defended them as the best course of action. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton highlighted the needs of the events and tourism sectors in the context of testing. The FM said she understood the sectors’ concerns and stressed that the government was doing everything possible to provide support and increase capacity.