Coronavirus (COVID-19) Highest Risk (formerly Shielding) List end: equality and fairer Scotland impact assessment

10. New Guidance and Future Threat Levels

10.1 With regard to mitigating the concerns associated with the behaviour of others, which may be heightened amongst some on the highest risk list with protected characteristics and/or from disadvantaged socio-economic groups, the new guidance for businesses and individuals to replace the regulations on ongoing protection measures will encourage ongoing NPI measures such as face coverings, ventilation, hygiene and distancing, alongside the ability to strengthen and scale up measures if needed in response to any increased threat.

10.2 The Scottish Government also continues to encourage workplaces to offer a mixture of home and office working (hybrid working) if possible. Government guidance also continues to stress the need for businesses and organisations to consider what they can do to reduce the spread of the virus, and protect their employees and customers. It notes that adaptations are crucial to keeping the spread of the virus low, especially important in order to improve consumer confidence and minimise the potential of further disruption if the threat level increases.

10.3 To help improve awareness of the measures that people who do not speak English can undertake themselves to reduce the risk from being infected or spreading the virus, the Scottish Government continues to provide material in a range of alternative languages, including Arabic, Mandarin and Polish. To help improve awareness of the measures that people with learning/intellectual disabilities can undertake themselves to reduce the risk from being infected or spreading the virus, the Scottish Government also provides material in easy read format.