The End is CerTEIRnly in Sight ...

[dancemom]

New thread, possibly the last?

Well she hasn't fully got rid of them yet but big strong hints about context and looking at vaccination rate, ICU rate and hospital rate when making decisions......
Hurrah let's hope they follow through with it properly!

I think they are giving up on their "elimination strategy" just haven't admitted it (yet.....)

@Scottishskifun

Well she hasn't fully got rid of them yet but big strong hints about context and looking at vaccination rate, ICU rate and hospital rate when making decisions...... Hurrah let's hope they follow through with it properly!

I think they are giving up on their "elimination strategy" just haven't admitted it (yet.....)

Yes, I agree. They've finally realised that the zero COVID strategy isn't going to work (although they can't admit that, obviously!), and are preparing the public for opening up despite rising COVID levels. She makes it sound almost surprising that vaccinating the vulnerable has broken this case/death link. Who could possibly have predicted that vaccination might mean reducing the severity of illness (apart from anyone with a basic understanding of health or virology obviously...)?

This is the most positive update I think we have had in a year. I mean the whole let's be cautious is still there but I think even NS has had enough

Oh my gosh.. I was scared to look.. do we think just possibly freedom awaits..... ??

Any news on Glasgow? I can't bear to watch either!

Early signs that Glasgow stabilising, further update at the end of the week.

No news on Glasgow yet @suggestionsplease1

Cases in glasgow look to stabilising and they will monitor it carefully over the next few days. Don't want to count my chickens but yes I do think we are finally on our road out of this 🤞

Question just been asked about moving down hopeful that all if not most of the country can go to level 1 at next review.

Beyond level zero will be set out shortly

Hopefully we are on our way out soon. I had a Teams call with my constituency MSP this morning to discuss the Glasgow situation but it was mostly sympathy over disappointment and a ''fingers crossed attitude' rather than any concrete ideas / plans.

I have the same response as emma re the briefings making me throw things But that's amazing news that it sounded so positive - especially re tier 1, zero and beyond zero still looking to be on track. And also that they're looking into increasing flexibility in the vaccine programme to minimise no shows. Come on us - we can do this!

I wonder if i can watch this on catch-up?

It might be on I player.

Below is the biggest hint so far and actually a journo asking a worthwhile question for once!

^Gordon Chree from STV asks the first minister about the focus shifting to hospital admissions and away from case numbers.

He asks if she has changed tack on her position last summer when there was a push for an "elimination strategy".

Ms Sturgeon says she still believes it is important to try to keep case rates as low as possible, "because the lower they are the less chance of transmission and the less chance of new variants".

But she says, "vaccination changes the game" in how you deal with the pandemic.

"There's got to be a point to us having a mass vaccination programme, and that is it does allow us to change how we deal with this virus in a way which has much less restriction on our day-to-day lives."^

The last paragraph is what we've been saying here all year.

@titsintiers

The last paragraph is what we've been saying here all year.

I was thinking the same! It's been so incredibly obvious for such a long time. Still, she's got there in the end..🙄

Did they give any details on how many of the people in Glasgow with Covid were vaccinated, or had 1 dose? They way Jenny Harries at English briefing was able to give the figures for Bolton? I'd be interested in this

I mean people in hospital in Glasgow

@latissimusdorsi

I mean people in hospital in Glasgow

It could be irrelevant - although there are people in hospital with Covid, have they actually said there is an increase in Glasgow hospitals as a result of people requiring treatment for Covid.

According to Scot Gov website Glasgow hospitalisations gone from 33 to 51 over last week

Bloody hell.
Though as pp said, i wonder how many of those in hospital refused to be vaccinated?

This is concerning about the low uptake for vaccinations in Glasgow. They're not entirely sure about precise reasons by the sounds of it - if letters are not arriving at the right place or on time before appointments, or if they are and people aren't going for them.

We seem to have a different approach to England where people can more easily book in directly?

Anyone in East renfrewshire requiring hospital admission will also be counted in GGC numbers. As well as anyone who is seriously ill from areas without large hospitals such as argyll and the islands

Our area was having high numbers not turning up but then they did a day of walk up clinics which were massively popular and they went through the surplus within a few hours.

I don't know why they don't do the same in Glasgow, if people aren't turning up to the big vaccination centres then take it to smaller ones which are in the community!

I know they set one up in Glasgow but think they need to social media it especially at a weekend!

@traintraveller

Anyone in East renfrewshire requiring hospital admission will also be counted in GGC numbers. As well as anyone who is seriously ill from areas without large hospitals such as argyll and the islands

O wow, I hadn't thought of this - doesn't that essentially mean that figures for people outside Glasgow area are used to determine whether restrictions continue within Glasgow? Or do they filter through that info?

I think same for East Dunbartonshire. Cases is one measure, hospital ability to cope is another. I don't know what other measures there are.

I think the issue is that case numbers are reported by council area while hospital admissions are reported by health board. I suppose it depends which they are using to determine the level an area is in, so far its been per 100000 population I think