COVID-19 NEWS
Update On New Restrictions: Cafes In Scotland To Be Allowed To Stay Open Licensed cafes can remain open as long as they do not serve alcohol, the first minister has confirmed.
On Wednesday, the Scottish government said that in the central belt only cafes without an alcohol licence would be allowed to open.
Those with a licence in that area were to close under new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of Covid.
But now all cafes in the central belt will be allowed to open as long as they do not serve alcohol.
The First Minister said today that these regulations would be published on Friday, and said environmental health officers would be responsible for ensuring the new regulations were adhered to.
Overview Of New Restrictions In five health board areas - Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley, Lothian and Ayrshire and Arran - where the infection rate is highest, new restrictions will come into force from 18:00 on Friday until 25 October.
They will result in the following changes:
There will be no travel ban in any of the areas, but people in the central belt have been urged to avoid public transport unless it is "absolutely necessary".
They have also been advised not to travel outside of the health board area they live in if they do not need to.
Rules for the rest of Scotland In the rest of the country (where the infection rate is not as high), the rules are also changing from 18:00 on Friday until 25 October. These rules include:
National Transition Training Fund Launched People who have lost their jobs or who are at risk of redundancy as a result of COVID-19 can access support to retrain through a new fund launched by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop.
The £25 million National Transition Training Fund – a flagship Programme for Government commitment – will help up to 10,000 people aged 25 and over to develop the skills required to move into sectors with the greatest potential for future growth and job opportunities.
The fund will help to boost the supply of skills in areas such as sustainable green jobs and raise the profile of training opportunities linked to Scotland’s transition to a net zero economy.
The first phase of the National Transition Training Fund will be administered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on behalf of Scottish Government, with work coaches from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and PACE advisers from SDS providing advice and support. Two further strands will launch this autumn.
The Fund is open to anyone aged 25 or over who is unemployed, economically inactive or at risk of unemployment due to the impact of Covid-19.
To find out more, visit myworldofwork.co.uk/national-transition-training-fund or call 0800 917 8000.
Latest Coronavirus Statistics The daily update outlining the key statistics related to Covid-19 cases so far...
OTHER NEWS
High-speed Train 'Stabling' Facility Proposed Near Gretna A high-speed train "stabling" facility - creating up to 100 jobs - could be constructed in southern Scotland.
The project is contained in the latest consultation on a second phase of high-speed rail development in the UK.
The "design refinement" of the western leg of the HS2 scheme - from Crewe to Manchester - includes the proposals about two miles north of Gretna.
The site could house up to 28 trains and would be used for cleaning, light maintenance and storage of equipment.
The consultation said the additional stabling site would be needed somewhere between Carlisle and Glasgow and Edinburgh.
It said three potential sites had been identified, one near Gretna, one at Todhills in Cumbria and another at Ravenstruther in South Lanarkshire.
However, the Dumfries and Galloway location was thought to be the "most operationally suitable, cost-effective and least environmentally impactful solution".
It would perform a range of functions including:
Consultation on the proposals is open until 11 December.
Work formally began on the HS2 project last month with the first phase - from London to Crewe - hoped to be completed between 2028 and 2031.
The second phase has been earmarked for completion sometime between 2035 and 2040.
HS2 is intended to serve four destinations in Scotland - Lockerbie, Motherwell, Glasgow and Edinburgh - with trains leaving the dedicated HS2 track to the south of Wigan and joining the existing West Coast Mainline.
New Plan To Support Scotland’s Mental Health Recovery A new plan will help ensure mental health and wellbeing remains at the heart of the Scottish Government’s response to COVID-19.
Children and young people, those facing redundancy, and people with long-term physical health conditions and disabilities are among key groups the plan focuses on.
It builds on innovations and new service designs that have emerged in response to the pandemic, such as the ‘Clear Your Head’ campaign, the expansion of digital services and the establishment of Mental Health Assessment Centres.
As well as promoting good mental health and wellbeing, the plan prioritises rapid and easily accessible support for those in distress and ensures safe, effective treatment and care of people living with mental illness.
A tailored programme of work will help individual NHS Boards respond effectively to the anticipated increase in demand in the months ahead.
More Than 4 Million Applications To The EU Settlement Scheme The Home Office has today announced that there have been more than four million applications to the EU Settlement Scheme, according to the latest published statistics.
This important milestone was reached with eight months still to go before the 30 June 2021 deadline. Nearly 3.8 million grants of status have also been made, securing millions of European’s rights in UK law for years to come.
The latest statistics also show that, of the more than 4 million applications across the UK, there have been nearly 3.7 million from England, 204,700 from Scotland, 67,200 from Wales and 66,300 from Northern Ireland up to the end of September 2020.
Support For Those Affected By Redundancy Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) is the Scottish Government’s initiative dedicated to responding to redundancy situations.
It’s a partnership of organisations, which includes the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, dedicated to providing free and impartial advice, guidance and support during redundancy.
PACE can help businesses by supporting employees through the redundancy process. PACE is available to all individuals affected by redundancy, no matter the size of the business.
PACE Advisers have extensive experience of dealing with redundancy situations and can:
Skills Development Scotland leads on the delivery of PACE on behalf of the Scottish Government and a number of partners.
RECAP: DAILY UPDATES
SCC SUPPORT HUB
The SCC Business Support Hub The Business Support Hub on the SCC website has been created to enable businesses to find useful information quickly.
The Hub is updated daily and includes information on business support, access to finance, contact numbers, public information and travel advice.
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