CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 24th SEPTEMBER 2021

Covid Update

Scotland to launch vaccine passports on 1 October
People in Scotland will need proof they have been fully vaccinated before they can enter nightclubs and many large events from 1 October.
The vaccine passport plan was formally approved by Holyrood after the SNP and Greens voted in favour.
Some businesses have complained of a lack of detail about how the scheme will work in practice.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the system would reduce the risk of transmission and help prevent venues – many of which have only recently reopened – from having to close again due to Covid.
A paper published by the government on Thursday morning, just hours before the vote in the Scottish Parliament, said officials were still working to define what a nightclub actually is.
And it said evidence was still being gathered about the effectiveness of similar schemes elsewhere in the world.
• I need to prove I'm fully vaccinated – how do I do it?
• What do we know about Scotland's vaccine passport?
The new rules will mean people over the age of 18 in Scotland will need to show they have had both doses of the vaccine before they are allowed entry to:
• Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
• Unseated indoor live events, with more than 500 people in the audience
• Unseated outdoor live events, with more than 4,000 people in the audience
• Any event, of any nature, which has more than 10,000 people in attendance
It means that many major sporting events – particularly football matches – will be affected, as will concerts and music festivals.
People who have had two vaccines in Scotland can already download or get a paper copy of a certificate with a QR code.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/after-your-vaccine/get-a-record-of-your-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-status

By the end of the month, it is expected that this code will also be available on a new NHS Scotland Status app.
These codes can be scanned at a venue to confirm the user is fully vaccinated.
Anyone who has good reasons for not getting fully vaccinated – including children and people with medical conditions – will be exempt.

CO2 Shortages

The price of CO2 used to produce food and drink will be five times higher, under a deal to restart production.

But there will be no “significant impact” on prices in retail outlets, the government says.

What food and drink is CO2 used for?
Food grade CO2 is used for hundreds of products:

to carbonate water, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
to dispense drinks and beers in pubs
to promote the growth of plants – such as cucumbers – in greenhouses
to stun pigs and chickens before slaughter
for packaging meats, baby foods, fresh foods and baked products (CO2 extends shelf life by preventing bacteria)
to keep food fresh in transport (CO2 is used in the form of dry ice and snow)
Source: Food and Drink Federation/Global Counsel

Why is there a CO2 shortage?
CF Industries produces CO2 as a by-product of its main product, fertiliser.

Its two main plants, on Teesside and in Cheshire, had stopped work because of rises in wholesale gas prices.

Because the fertiliser factories stopped working, there had been a cut of 60% of the UK's food-grade carbon dioxide supply.

What has the government agreed?
It will meet the full operating costs – said to be tens of millions of pounds – of CF Industries' plant on Teesside for three weeks “whilst the CO2 market adapts to global prices”.

There will be a cap to the overall cost.

As part of the deal, the food industry will have to pay five times more for carbon dioxide – with prices rising from £200 per tonne to £1,000.

Lorry Driver Shortages
Several companies have complained about not having enough lorry drivers, which has created shortages for some products.
But a combination of Covid, Brexit and other factors, means there aren't enough drivers to meet demand.
There is now a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, out of a pre-pandemic total of about 600,000, a Road Haulage Association survey of its members estimates.
That number included tens of thousands of drivers from EU member states who were living and working in the UK.
Even before Covid, the estimated shortage was about 60,000 drivers.
What is being done about shortages?
The government has slightly relaxed the Drivers' Hours rules, which means drivers will be able to increase their daily driving limit from nine hours to 11 hours twice a week.
The temporary extension to driver hours, which initially ran for four weeks until 8 August was then extended to 3 October. But it has been criticised as compromising safety standards and the industry says it will do little to ease the problems it is facing.
A government spokesperson said longer journeys “must only be used where necessary and must not compromise driver safety.”
The UK government is also expected to announce changes to the HGV driver testing process to get more newly qualified people into the haulage industry.
There is also £7,000 funding for the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship scheme.
Haulage companies have reiterated their calls for foreign drivers to be added to what's known as the Shortage Occupations list, allowing them to qualify for a skilled worker visa.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps rejected immigration as the solution, saying: “We do have to stand on our own two feet as the United Kingdom”.
The government argues that progress is already being made in testing and hiring, and it says a big push is being made towards improving pay, working conditions and diversity.

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Update to e-mail contact details

As we have now completed the process of changing the name of the organisation to “Scottish Craft Butchers” we have also taken to opportunity to change our e-mail addresses to reflect this.
Please note the new e-mail contact details for Gordon and Bruce below.
Our mobile numbers remain the same.

Gordon King: [email protected] 07917524313
Bruce McCall: [email protected] 07834490922

The Scottish Craft Butchers office in Perth is staffed every weekday.

We will be available to our members to answer any queries via email or by mobile phone
and will be available out of office hours for any members wanting to contact us.