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Scottish Government guidance and advice is based on the evidence and informed by both SAGE and our own CMO Advisory Group, who advise on the science with regard to infectiousness.

All Covid-19 testing carried out in Scotland at the moment is PCR testing. The PCR test detects the presence of causative virus (SARS- Cov-2 in the case of Covid-19) in a sample.

PCR positivity at day 7 or beyond does not mean the same thing as being infectious (ie, producing live virus).

Evidence to date suggests that the current advise to isolate for seven days in the case of mild infection, or seven days after major symptoms have ended for more severe cases, remains sound and will be appropriate for the vast majority of cases.

NHS Inform advises that people should wait until they feel well enough before returning to work, and should adhere to the other principles set down in guidance in relation to physical distancing, respiratory and hand hygiene etc, after that point.

Advice and guidance remains subject to the outcome of future research into infectiousness between 7 and 14 days after infection, and will be assessed on an ongoing basis by SAGE and the CMO Advisory Group. Policy will be amended if needed, particularly for those people coming into contact with vulnerable people, or people in other higher-risk situations.

We intend to publish regional data as soon as it becomes available. This will apply from 28th May when Test and Protect was rolled-out.

During the period from February 2020 to May 2020, user logins to Glow via RM Unify were split:

Staff (Teaching and non-Teaching staff)

• local authority schools 97-98%
• independent schools 0.3-0.5%

Pupils

• local authority schools 99.8 – 99.9%.
• independent schools 0.1 – 0.2%

Notes

1. The figures above are based on users logging into Glow via RM Unify but they do not include users accessing Glow through desktop or mobile apps which may be used on devices such as tablet/iPads distributed by local authorities.

2. Glow does not include a category of private school, instead it uses “independent schools”. This includes schools which are privately funded and special schools.

3. The percentage usage for staff do not add up to 100% as there are also some staff accounts in ITE universities, colleges and national bodies involved in education such as Education Scotland.

The data required to provide the specific answers to the PQ is not available.

Glow usage is monitored monthly and Education Scotland publishes statistics on the use of Glow at a national level on a monthly basis on the Glow Connect website - https://glowconnect.org.uk/about-glow/glow-usage-stats/

These figures cover the period from October 2015 until May 2020 and shows both national unique users and national monthly logins broken down into teaching staff, non-teaching staff and pupils.

The national figures published monthly on Glow Connect are based on users logging into Glow via RM Unify but they do not include users accessing Glow through desktop or mobile apps which may be used on devices such as tablet/ iPads distributed by local authorities.

(a) Teachers: Due to the complexities of local account management in Glow it is not possible to provide the information requested for teacher usage.

(b) Pupils: Twenty-seven local authorities make use of the Glow platform with five using their own alternative. In the period from 1 August 2019 until 31 May 2020, 482,549 pupils from local authority schools logged into Glow. While a small number of pupils outwith the 27 local authority areas may have accessed Glow, this represents around 85% of the pupil population of the 27 local authorities area that use Glow. It represent 69% of all pupils in Scotland however, it should be noted that this would not be a valid comparison.

Glow provides a digital collaboration and productivity platform for all learners in Scotland. Glow and other digital services can provide local authorities, schools and practitioners with data they can use to identify inequalities which can be used to target support.

Practitioners are able to connect with learners within Glow using Microsoft or Google tools and hold virtual meetings, share learning materials, set assignments, monitor progress in learning and track engagement. This enables practitioners to factor in Glow when planning and setting tasks and searching and teaching activities for their learners.

The industry standard productivity tools offered by Microsoft and Google are free to download for all Glow users. There are also learning tools built in to the Microsoft Office suite making learning materials more accessible for pupils.

Schools and practitioners in Scotland are using digital platforms and tools such as those in Glow to engage with our most disadvantaged young people in our communities. School pastoral care and senior leadership teams are using the functionalities of Glow to encourage and communicate positive and motivational messages to learners within their communities as a result of each schools provision of digital resources to young people.

Evidence on this matter has been received through the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and Scotland's Chief Medical Officer. The Scottish Government also monitors international evidence, in particular that from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Under most circumstances, even without cleaning or disinfection, the amount of infectious virus on any contaminated surfaces is likely to have decreased significantly by 72 hours. We know that similar viruses, are transferred to and by people’s hands and therefore frequent hand hygiene and regular decontamination of frequently touched environmental and equipment surfaces will help to reduce the risk of infection transmission.

Local authorities are expected to adhere to guidance on environmental decontamination (cleaning and disinfection) as an important mitigating action to contain the spread of COVID-19. That guidance is disseminated through Public Health Scotland and can be found here:

https://hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/covid-19-guidance-for-non-healthcare-settings/

Decontamination needs to be done alongside other measures such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces and on public transport, and cough etiquette; as well as, where it is deemed appropriate, wearing PPE.

The COVID-19 data and trend charts for Scotland are published daily and provide a range of information, including the number of care homes notifying cases of COVID-19 and the number of suspected cases of COVID-19 in care homes. The data also includes the daily number of people in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 but does not include details on how many of these are care home residents or staff. The cumulative number of people tested and the number of positive and negative tests is also provided.

Weekly data on COVID-19 in adult care homes in Scotland is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-additional-data-about-adult-care-homes-in-scotland/

You can find figures updated every day at 2pm (including care home data) here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Daily data for Scotland .

All NHS Scotland staff should be paid the appropriate rate for any hours worked. This has always been the case and has not changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recording hours worked and ensuring correct payment is a matter for Boards to manage locally. We engage regularly with employers and staff side partners to identify how we can best support NHS staff through this challenging time, and one of the measures agreed is the extension of overtime provisions to senior staff working beyond their contracted hours in order to assist with the COVID-19 response.