Chamber and committees

This information is not collected or held by the Scottish Government. However, there have been no reported outbreaks of Covid-19 among people experiencing homelessness in Scotland.

The Scottish Government took swift and effective action to ensure that all those experiencing homelessness and living in situations where it would be difficult to follow public health guidance were provided with alternative accommodation; and that frontline services and their staff had the right support and tools to both respond to this crisis and continue to deliver their vital services throughout this difficult time. We are continuing to support people experiencing homelessness as well as all of our partners and stakeholders as we move through and out of the crisis.

Updated guidance for the retail sector, which includes close contact services, such as beauty salons, was published on 17 July. This includes a section on services offered in the ‘high risk zone’, defined as ‘the area in front of the face where splashes and droplets from the nose and mouth may be present’. It also contains a checklist for those providing close contact services to help them assess that the therapies and treatments they are providing are safe.

Following an announcement by the First Minister on 9 July, beauty salons offering services including nail treatments are permitted to reopen from 22 July.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for close contact services based on a risk assessment process which business owners should use to identify which treatments and activities can be offered. Further guidance will be issued to provide clarity around businesses operating from home.

Following publication of the update routemap on 9 July, beauticians including those specialising in nail treatments are permitted to resume trading from 22 July 2020.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for close contact services including beauticians. This guidance is based on a risk assessment process and outlines our expectations on the steps which businesses will take before and after reopening.

Guidance to support the safe reopening of escape room businesses will not be included in the sector guidance for cinemas and theatres. Scottish Government is seeking further public health advice prior to indicating the dates for the reopening of indoor entertainment venues such as escape rooms. Guidance will be published to support indoor entertainment venues to reopen safely in due course.

Following publication of the updated routemap on 9 July, hairdressers are permitted to resume trading from 15 July 2020. This includes mobile hairdressers.

The Scottish Government has published updated guidance for close contact services including hairdressers. This is based on a risk assessment process, and outlines our expectations on the steps businesses will take before and after reopening.

On 20 March 2020 we published the Year 2 progress update on our Race Equality Action Plan. A final year report of this Plan will be published in 2021, which will include consideration of activity across all relevant portfolios.

Scotland’s curriculum is not prescriptive. It provides teachers with a flexible framework through the experiences and outcomes. Education Scotland have developed a quick reference guide to existing key resources for practitioners about black history and BAME heritage, including colonialism and slavery. We plan to make use of existing groups, including the Ethnic Minorities Resilience Network and members of the Diversity in the Teaching Profession working group, to identify any additional resources and inform whether any further action is needed.

On 20 March 2020 we published the Year 2 progress update on our Race Equality Action Plan. A final year report of this Plan will be published in 2021, which will include consideration of activity across all relevant portfolios.

Scotland’s curriculum is not prescriptive. It provides teachers with a flexible framework through the experiences and outcomes. Education Scotland are in the process of work to exemplify how race equality can be addressed in education through whole schools approaches and the ethos and life of the school as well as across all curricular areas. An external reference group, including BEMIS and CRER, are guiding the work and a race equality in education resource for practitioners is nearly complete, due for launch in September.

Education Scotland have also developed a quick reference guide to existing key resources for practitioners about Black history and BAME heritage, including colonialism. We plan to make use of existing groups, including the Ethnic Minorities Resilience Network and members of the Diversity in the Teaching Profession working group, to inform whether any further action is needed.

On the 30 th of June 2020, I announced during the daily media briefing that visiting restrictions are being relaxed in hospitals from 13 July, in line with Scotland’s Coronavirus Route Map. In addition we are also developing additional guidance for Maternity Services specific to visiting within the maternity and neonatal setting.

This means that partners of pregnant women will be able to attend ante-natal, clinic, scan appointments and visit women on postnatal wards.

The new guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-hospital-visiting-guidance/ .

The Scottish Government has released guidance on how public and customer toilets can open safely. The decision to open public toilets in commercial businesses is to be made by the operator. You can find a copy of the guidance here .