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Tag: Health Secretary Humza Yousaf

Glasgow’s Euro 2020 fan zone to go ahead with no mass testing or temperature checks after health secretary declares it safe

Glasgow’s Euro 2020 fan zone is to open as planned today without temperature checks or mass testing after yesterday’s talks between Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, clinical advisers and Glasgow City Council after opposition MSPs called for further Covid measures  – and despite fears from hospitality businesses that it could send the city hurtling back into level three restrictions.

Up to 6,000 people a day, split into two sessions, will gather in the fan zone in Glasgow Green to watch matches on every day of the tournament,  social-distancing will be enforced and alcohol can only be purchased via table service.

Following the meeting, Humza Yousaf said every ticket holder would be asked – but not obliged – to use lateral flow testing kit and detailed the measures implemented to keep the event safe.

He said, “Planning has been meticulous to minimise the risks of transmission. The venue is outdoors with capacity for more than 25 times the number of tickets for each session, allowing for ample physical distancing.

“In addition, there are comprehensive stewarding, cleaning and contact tracing provisions in place and everyone attending will also be asked to take up the offer of twice weekly rapid lateral flow testing.”

The cabinet secretary said that the situation would be monitored continually during the tournament and revealed he had set up a review team – made up of the government, city council and local public health staff – to provide continuous advice on the ability of the fan zone to operate safely.

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative spokesperson for Covid recovery, told BBC Radio Scotland, “It’s absolute nonsense to allow up to 6,000 football fans to gather in the open air in Glasgow for one event, and not allow parents throughout Scotland to attend their school sport days in the open air, providing they’re doing so in a socially distanced and responsible manner, because the risk of infection from that must be lower than from this event in Glasgow.”

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Hospitality ‘watching with trepidation’ as Euro fan zone plans come under fire by opposition MSPs

Opposition MSPs have called plans for the Euro 2020 fan zone in Glasgow ‘baffling’ and that hospitality is ‘watching on with trepidation’, given the tight rules in other sectors. Up to 6,000 ticketholders a day will be able watch matches on large screens at Glasgow Green over the 31-day event.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf (pictured) has insisted the outdoor space will be highly regulated but some opposition MSPs say that those attending the Glasgow fan zones should be subject to further Covid measures such as mass testing or temperature checks.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton warned that a failure to mass test could be part of a “catalogue of errors” that we “will pay for for the rest of the summer”.

He said, “I think we still have time to turn this around – Glasgow Life have a plan. (The hospitality industry) is watching on with trepidation, that this might lead to another spike that could force their businesses to close after all the money they’ve spent. For a government reported to have exercised such caution, this is baffling.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme that fan zone organisers Glasgow Life had offered to put a system of testing in place – but this was refused by Scotland’s national clinical director, Jason Leitch.

She said, “People really don’t understand the lack of consistency from the Scottish government. It just takes one person to have missed the opportunity to test themselves for Covid to spread – it’s whether that is an acceptable risk or not.

“If we are stopping soft play openings, and all sorts of other activities would be considered much safer, then people don’t understand why people are going ahead with a mass event.”

Euro 2020 kicks off on 11 June, with Glasgow one of 11 host cities.

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Research reveals UK-wide shortage of 200,000 hospitality workers as Sturgeon set to announce next stage of lockdown easing later today

The UK hospitality industry is facing a major staffing crisis says new analysis from UKHospitality that puts the shortage at almost 200,000 workers, as Nicola Sturgeon prepares to announce later today whether the next stage of Scotland’s lockdown easing can go ahead next week. Under the Scottish government’s roadmap, areas in level two are due to move to level one from 7 June and UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls (pictured) is urging governments to stick to roadmaps.

But Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf warned that there could be a delay in certain parts of Scotland where Covid cases are rising rapidly on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme.

The survey of hundreds of UK hospitality operators by the trade body showed the shortage of front-of-house staff and chefs is a big problem. Four in five (80%) of those surveyed reported vacancies for front-of-house roles, such as waiting and bar staff, and 85% need chefs.

Some 47% have housekeeping vacancies and 43% are looking for assistant or general managers.

The survey suggested a current vacancy rate across the sector of 9%, which implies a shortage of 188,000 workers.

Said Kate Nicholls, “The government must restore confidence in the hospitality sector so it is again seen as a stable employer and provider of fulfilling careers. To facilitate this, it must stick to the reopening roadmap.

“Beyond this, the single biggest act of support government could give would be to encourage more UK-based workers to join the hospitality sector. It is also time for the government to review its list of shortage occupations and consider the introduction of an Australian-style visa scheme to enable the workers we need, who don’t meet the point-based system, to come and work here.”

The survey showed for overseas workers, many of whom returned home at the beginning of the pandemic, travel restrictions were a primary reason they had chosen not to return to the UK. Almost a fifth said the cost of quarantine on return was preventing them from coming back.

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