Health workers receive first Covid jags
Last updated 8th Dec 2020
The first Scots will be rolling up their sleaves to get the Coronavirus vaccine this morning as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon prepares to announce an end to the toughest restrictions in some areas.
About 65,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived in the country over the weekend, with more expected to be on the way.
Andrew Mencnarowski was one of the first NHS workers to get it.
The double-dose vaccine will be administered to those tasked with giving it out first, before healthcare staff and those deemed to be clinically vulnerable are inoculated.
"The sooner we all get vaccinated the sooner we can get back to some sort of normality." - Richard Graham
Ms Sturgeon described the vaccine as "light at the end of the tunnel'' but warned against complacency, urging Scots to continue to follow restrictions and public health guidance.
"I ask everyone to be patient as we work our way through this vaccination programme and continue to follow FACTS to keep us all safe,'' she said on Monday.
Health staff who'll be giving the jag to the rest of us will be heading along to vaccination centres in hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Richard Grahame owns a chain of pharmacies in Falkirk, Irvine and Jedburgh and is booked in for his this morning.
"I wasn't expecting to get it this side of Christmas," he says.
"To be getting it so soon is such a positive step and it means that when we get our second doses in the New Year we'll be ready and able, hopefully, to start offering vaccinations to the wider public.
"The sooner we all get vaccinated the sooner we can get back to some sort of normality. Getting healthcare workers done will hopefully ease the burden on the NHS.
"I've been doing some flu jabs and people have been asking. The look on their faces and the feedback has been really positive and I think when they see the healthcare professionals are getting it done any apprehension will disappear."
Later today the First Minister will confirm the toughest level of Scottish Government restrictions will come to an end on Friday night.
A total of 11 councils in west and central Scotland are expected to be moved down from Level 4 on Friday.
After some confusion over the weekend, the First Minister confirmed on Monday that this remains the plan and she and her Cabinet will decide on Tuesday morning what level each area will move down to.
The shift away from Level 4 means non-essential retailers will be able to open just two weeks before Christmas, while hospitality businesses will be able to resume operations with reduced opening hours.
The alcohol ban will remain in place for businesses in areas only reduced to Level 3.
"Our decisions will be based on the trajectory of the virus in each local authority area, as well as the need to protect capacity in the NHS and we will also consider the social and economic harms that come from the restrictions,'' the First Minister said at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh on Monday.
Ms Sturgeon added the Scottish Government will continue to take a "cautious and careful approach'' to changes to the levels.
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