EDX/20/1154
Date of prep: December 2020
Prescribing information and
adverse events reporting
For healthcare professionals only
EDX/20/1154
Date of prep: December 2020
Prescribing information and
adverse events reporting
For healthcare professionals only
Preparations for a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Scotland have been accelerated, as the virus continues to spread beyond China.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a Scottish Government Resilience meeting (SGoRR) to discuss preparedness in Scotland, following outbreaks in northern Italy and other parts of the world.
Preparations in Scotland to date include:
Anyone who has arrived in the UK from the areas listed below since 19 February is advised to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, even if they do not have symptoms. Those who have returned from these areas and display or develop symptoms should phone their GP or NHS24 on 111 out of hours.
For South Korea, anyone who visited the two cities at the centre of the outbreak, Daegu and Cheongdo, is advised to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms.
For Iran, all returning travellers are requested to self-isolate, even if they do not have symptoms.
For northern Italy, all travellers returning from specific lockdown areas identified by the Italian Government are advised to self-isolate, even if they do not have symptoms.
Any other travellers returning from parts of Italy north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini in the past week are asked to monitor their health, and self-isolate if they develop symptoms.
Anyone who has travelled to the UK from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is also now advised to monitor their health, and self-isolate if they develop symptoms.
Public health advice to reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading respiratory infections by practising good respiratory hygiene includes:
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman who also attended the meeting said:
“Though the risk to individuals remain low, and all test results have come back negative so far, the Chief Medical Officer has advised that it is highly likely that we will see a positive case in Scotland as coronavirus continues to spread.
“We are expecting an outbreak and are working hard to ensure we have plans in place to contain it as best we can. The NHS and Health Protection Scotland have an established plan to respond to anyone who becomes unwell.
“Scotland is well-prepared for a significant outbreak of coronavirus but there is currently no treatment or vaccine. Therefore, preventing the spread of any outbreak will be vital, and the Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Scotland and Health Protection Scotland to ensure this.
“We have a proven track record of dealing with challenging health issues and have public health and infectious disease experts working intensively on these issues.
“The public also has a vital role to play in helping us contain any outbreak by following the latest health and travel advice, and following basic hygiene precautions, such as washing hands and covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.”
You can keep up to date with Scottish Government updates by clicking here.
This information is being shared under the Open Government Copywrite licence.
Pharmacy in Practice is a UK pharmacy publication with its roots in Scotland.
This site is for healthcare professionals, please confirm you are a healthcare professional to continue.
Begin the discussion right here