Chamber and committees

Much more is known about the virus than at the beginning of the pandemic and our advice about how to protect ourselves has continued to adapt and evolve accordingly. We also now know that shielding had a detrimental impact on people’s lives, families and physical and mental wellbeing.

Clinical evidence indicates asking people to return to shielding would not offer the best protection. The best way to do so is to reduce the spread of the virus in our communities.

The new Strategic Framework published on 23 October introduced enhanced advice at each of the protection levels to protect people with the highest clinical risk covering areas like work, schools, shopping and contact with others.

We are encouraging people to adapt this advice to make it right for them. It is a personal decision how to balance the benefits of protection with quality of life. To support this and to assist those with specific health conditions, we are sending everyone on the shielding list a booklet called Balancing the risks of daily activities during coronavirus ’ which should arrive the week commencing 7 December.

We have also promoted the PHS dashboard data on local prevalence at neighbourhood levels through a letter from CMO, the text messaging service, social media, the FM’s briefing and online at mygov.scot.

Workplaces

Our guidance in relation to work is that those who are on the shielding list should follow the general advice for everyone and work from home where possible. Employers should make sure their staff can work from home if possible.

However, where it is not possible to work from home, the majority of workplaces can be made safe and at all protection levels across 0 – 4, people who are on the shielding list can continue to go into work following any necessary adjustments to make the work place safe.

It is the employer’s responsibility to make the workplace safe. In addition, we encourage the use of the individual workplace risk assessment tool (COVIDage calculator) to highlight personal risk and inform employer/ employee discussions about any further adjustments or arrangements needed. Where employees or employers still have concerns there are wider routes to seek further information and support including Occupational Health, Health and Safety Executive, HR, Trade Unions and professional bodies.

For those in protection level 4, the Chief Medical Officer issued a letter with advice on going to work and which also served a similar purpose to a fit note. The letter does not automatically mean people need to stay off work. If the employer has done all they can and still can’t make the workplace and duties covid-safe, or, if people are unable to travel to work in a covid-safe way, they can use the letter as evidence that they can’t go to work while the area is at level 4.

We don’t believe a return to full shielding in necessary. We want to provide those on the shielding list with information, advice and tools so that they can make decisions about their own day to day interactions and activities including work.