Scots students ordered to stay out of pubs

Scots students are being urged to stay out of pubs as part of a new strict new crackdown by university chiefs after a surge in Covid cases in campuses across the country.

Glasgow University students queue at a pop up test centre at the Murano Street Student Village. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

All socialising outside their households and accommodation will also be halted this weekend under new emergency rules unveiled last night aimed at halting escalating transmission rates in universities.Students have been warned that they could be kicked out of university over breaches of the new rules.

It came as the Scottish Government faced criticism over the spike in cases at campuses across the country after their return a couple of weeks ago, amid claims it should have been predicted. The situation in universities appears to have driven a surge in Coronavirus cases across Scotland. There were 465 new cases nationwide yesterday, with two new deaths.

It emerged yesterday that 125 students have tested positive in Lothian since universities returned, including 120 at Napier. A major outbreak at Glasgow University was behind cases in Greater Glasgow and Clyde rising to 219 yesterday.

But there are also concerns for the welfare of many students who have been ordered into self-isolation in university accommodation after outbreaks and barred from returning home to the family home.

Convener of Universities Scotland, Professor Gerry McCormac admitted last night that a “minority” of students have not behaved responsibly.

“Everyone across the nation shares the concern at seeing students in residences test positive for the virus and we will act decisively to deal with this,” he said.

“The additional actions we will take to drive down the transmission of the virus in student accommodation build on the wide-ranging measures already agreed with Scottish Government. Taken together, we are confident that these will help significantly to control the virus in student accommodation.”

The new restrictions unveiled last night states: “There must be no parties and no socialising outside their households.”

It adds: “Breaches will not be tolerated.”

The ban on visiting pubs and other hospitality venues applies this weekend.

“This is a necessary step at this crucial moment of managing the virus in the student population,” it adds.

Staff presence in halls of residence will be increased to monitor behaviour, while liaison with Police Scotland is also being stepped up.

A new yellow and red card approach to disciplinary breaches will also be implemented, with an advisory approach adopted in the first instance.

But it adds “We will not hesitate to escalate this to disciplinary action including potential discontinuation of study.”

There are now 84 people in hospital across Scotland and 10 in intensive care.

Nicola Sturgeon warned yesterday in Holyrood that cases are likely to rise further in the coming days.

Tory Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson called for testing now to be ramped across universities to stem the rising number of cases.

“It’s clear from the figures emerging this week that an increase in infection rates is being driven from within the student population,” Ms Davidson said.

“In Glasgow around half of all cases that have been identified, have been identified within the university. “There’s a clear concern that it could spread, particularly given the number of students that travel into uni from neighbouring areas then return home.

“The First Minister has previously accepted the need for routine testing across care homes - will she now examine the case for such routine testing across Scotland’s university campuses

Ms Sturgeon said: “We will always examine the case for that.”

But she said ministers must be careful that routine testing does not become a “pass” out of observing obligations.

“There is a real risk of false assurance coming from negative tests,” she added.

Universities minister Richard Lochhead has been in talks with the sector amid concerns over rising cases.

He said: ““This is a welcome package of additional actions, building on the clear guidance that is already in place, to support all students and staff adhere to the rules and stay safe as they make a welcome return to study. We expect everyone to comply with public health advice and, as new laws come into force tomorrow, it’s even more important institutions make every effort to ensure the rules are understood and followed - and appropriate actions are taken if not.”

But Labour leader Richard Leonard said students were suffering as a result of the Scottish Government’s “failure.”

He added: “Some as young as 17 and away from home for the first time, are living without established support networks.

“We know that this in itself can have an impact on young people’s mental health. On top of this, some are self-isolating in cramped accommodation. And many more will be anxious that they won’t be allowed to go home for Christmas.”

But the First Minister said talk of students being prevented from going home at Christmas is “not helping anybody.”

The SNP leader told MSPs she had a 17-year-old nephew at university.

“I worry about him - we all understand the emotional impact of this as well as the practical impact.”

Ms Sturgeon said more university “walk-in centres” are on the way, Ms Sturgeon added, with two already up and running in St Andrews and Glasgow, and other to follow soon in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Stirling.

Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie demanded to know what proportion of the new cases are accounted for in student accommodation and asked when walk-in centres would be operational.

He added: “The truth is outbreaks like this should have been expected and support and testing sites should have been in place before term started.

“A bit like the cruise ships at the start of this pandemic, opening student halls has brought people from far and wide together in densely populated accommodation providing the perfect conditions for the spread of the virus.”

Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie also raised student coronavirus cases, and said the government had “missed the boat” in testing international students.

He asked the First Minister to rethink the Scottish Government’s approach to routine testing of asymptomatic students.

He said: “We need to do more to track down the virus. As a significant proportion of people with the virus don’t know they have it, the risk of unknowingly spreading the disease is there - we need to help them find it.”

Nicola Sturgeon said international students had an obligation to quarantine, as it was “more effective than testing” in containing the spread of virus.