Coronavirus round-up: Sanitiser demand, school closure nears

With developments coming faster than anyone can keep up, we’re working hard to distill the news. Here’s the latest from around Scotland.

Gin and sanitiser

When you’re in a public health outbreak, sanitiser matters. So does gin – but the shelves are well stocked with the spirit so Scottish distilleries have switched production to help keep care homes and charities in hand sanitiser.

School’s (almost) out?

Meanwhile, First Minster Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC school closures are closer than ever. “It is highly possible we will see a more blanket approach to school closures in the coming days,” she said. While some schools have been closed for deeper cleaning after students appeared with symptoms, each council has been left to make decisions on a day-to-day basis. With parents told to stay home, many wonder why they are bothering when their kids wander off to the petri dishes that are their schools.

Business relief

There’s still so much to figure out, but the UK government has pledged billions to help businesses get through the worst of the outbreak. “That means any business who needs access to cash to pay their rent, their salaries, suppliers or purchase stock will be able to access a government-backed loan or credit on attractive terms. And if demand is greater than the initial £330bn I’m making available today, I will go further and provide as much capacity as required,” Chancellor Rishi Sunak said.

Grocery limits

My inbox is full of emails from grocers telling me they are working to restock their shelves and reassuring me things are fine. Sainsbury’s is going a step further than issuing calm messages from the CEO – it’s limiting customers ability to purchase more than two of any product. STV News will also visit an Iceland store today to check out its dedicated shopping hours for older customers.

And they’re not off…

Horse racing is endangered in Perth. “The nightmare scenario of no racing at Scone Palace for the rest of 2020 can’t be dismissed and, as such, emergency talks with bankers have already begun,” according to the Courier. Stressing the health of its staff comes first, the race course warned a lack of events could just be too much for the business to outlast.