REHIS News

The Coronavirus vaccine certification scheme became subject to enforcement on 18 October, meaning higher risk venues and events affected must verify customers are fully vaccinated, or otherwise exempt, before entry.

The requirement for vaccine certification came into force on 1^s October under changes made to the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. However, there was a grace period until 18 October allowing venues to test and trial the scheme without facing enforcement action.

Health boards and local authorities will develop wide-ranging plans to help ensure good quality, locally sourced and produced food is a practical everyday reality for everyone under new legislation

As more UK workers and students return to offices and schools, a new paper published in the Indoor and Built Environment journal details a new model that has been developed to predict the risk of airborne COVID-19 infection in such environments.

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) formally launched on 1st October 2021 to ensure Scotland’s communities can enjoy the healthy environment that they deserve.

ESS will monitor the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland, and public authorities’ compliance with it, and to prevent enforcement gaps arising from the UK leaving the European Union.

The Northern Centre AGM will be held on 29 September at 12.45am and is preceded by a short seminar on Short Term Lets. For information please contact@rehis.com

Millions of deaths could be avoided if the world adopts tough new air pollution limits set out by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The new Global Air Quality Guidelines calls for much lower daily and annual levels of exposure to six pollutants - particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM₂_.₅), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO).

Scottish ‘out of home’ food businesses – including takeaways restaurants and cafes - are being urged to put a stronger focus on calorific content as the industry recovers from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The call comes as latest findings highlight how almost everyone in Scotland last year (98%) was now eating out of their homes at some time.

Folic acid will be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour across the UK to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies, the government and devolved administrations have announced.

Adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will actively help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year – around 20% of the annual UK total.

Adding folic acid to flour across the UK builds on 80 years of fortification and follows consultation with industry, stakeholders and the public. The costs of fortification to industry are expected to be minimal.

Scottish Ministers have announced that a Scottish public inquiry will be established this year to consider Scotland’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.     

An Aims and Principles paper was published on 24 August that forms the basis of the stakeholder engagement, which will shape the Terms of Reference for the inquiry. It is available online at here.   

Scotland’s Climate Week is an annual event, which started in 2016, to help raise awareness of the global climate emergency and celebrate Scotland’s leadership in taking action against climate change.

This year Scotland's Climate Week will mark six weeks to go until the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).