REHIS News

The Scottish Government has updated their Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for the soft play sector.  The guidance is for soft play centres to help the sector prepare for re-opening (at level 0 or 1).

This guidance has been developed in collaboration with industry, trade unions, regulators including Local Authority Environmental Health Officer, and others. 

The Scottish Government is offering 75% cashback grants along with an interest-free loan for businesses wanting to install heat pumps.

Organisations can access the loan and receive a cashback grant of up to £10,000 while also cutting their energy bill and carbon footprint.

The SME Loan Scheme has already provided Scottish businesses with more than £26 million in loans for more than 1,000 energy saving projects.

Today on May 31, the World Health Organisation celebrates World No Tobacco Day and their theme this year is #CommitToQuit.

Although many smokers are keen to kick tobacco and nicotine addiction, many don’t have adequate means or support to do so. Without assistance, only 4–7% of those who attempt to quit succeed in doing so. Structured, well-funded and accessible cessation programmes are therefore an important component of World No Tobacco Day’s celebration of “Commit to Quit”.

The vaccination programme has delivered first doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to more than three million people in Scotland – 66.6% of the adult population. The landmark was reached on 14 May 2021.

The national vaccination programme is now moving through those aged 40 - 49 years old and more than 50% of this age group have come forward to receive their first vaccination.

The Scottish Government have produced guidance on how to work out the maximum number of people who can physically distance within a public setting including businesses, places of worship and public events.

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) is a new independent body set up to ensure the effectiveness of environmental law, and prevent enforcement gaps arising from the UK leaving the European Union.

ESS is currently operating on a non-statutory basis, but will gain the statutory powers set out in the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act later in 2021.

Pupils from an Edinburgh school helped Clean Air Day Scotland celebrate its fifth birthday – with a call for motorists to leave the car at home when the campaign takes place on 17th June. 

Sciennes Primary School is one of 12 in the city to run a school street, where the route outside a school is shut to vehicles at certain times during the school day to encourage children to walk and cycle, improving their health and reducing exposure to air pollution from vehicles.

The Scottish Government have made updates the Coronavirus (COVID-19): tourism and hospitality sector guidance to reflect changes in the guidance. 

The changes include:

World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will be celebrated on 7 June 2021. The day aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

Public Health Scotland’s Workforce Development Team have launched the Health Inequalities Learning Hub.