VIDEO: Millions of masks arrive from China as Scottish NHS staff and carers demand better protection

Ten million face masks arrived in Scotland from China yesterday for NHS staff and carers.

A cargo plane carrying the masks, along with vital equipment for intensive care units and laboratories, landed at Prestwick Airport yesterday morning.

The latest official figures show that a total of 893 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in Scotland, a rise of 56 on Friday’s figure.

Meanwhile it also emerged that:

• Scotland will receive an additional £155 million in funding from the UK Government to help tackle coronavirus.
• The Queen has cancelled the traditional gun salute to mark her 94th birthday on Tuesday.
• President Donald Trump has insisted deaths from Covid-19 are much higher in China than in the US, despite official statistics painting a far different picture.
• The Duke of Sussex has thanked NHS workers and volunteers in the fight against Covid-19, saying he is “incredibly proud” of the British public’s response to the pandemic, saying the rush of volunteers as “wonderfully British”.
• Africa has recorded more than 1,000 deaths from Covid-19, with 52 of the continent’s 54 countries now reporting cases.

The masks that arrived yesterday will be distributed across the health and social care sectors, but are not suitable for use in intensive treatment units (ITU) caring for coronavirus patients.

The plane was also carrying infusion pumps for administering medicines and nutrients to ITU patients and virus collecting kits for use in health laboratories.

Their arrival comes as medical staff continue to express concerns about the standard of fit of their masks.

A survey of 1,465 members of nursing union the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland found that 47% of respondents working in high-risk environments and 36% in general care environments had been asked to re-use single-use PPE.

RCN Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: “When they get these masks people will have to be fit tested for what they intend to use them for. If they are not happy they should be saying so.

“There are different levels of masks for different settings. The masks in the high risk, intensive care areas are very different from the masks you would use going into someone’s home as a community nurse.”

Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation Ivan McKee said: “This charter flight, carrying additional equipment ordered by the Scottish Government, is significant and we will be focusing the distribution of these supplies to health and social care settings over the coming days.”