An online crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise funds which will buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical teams across Scotland.

The Masks for Scotland crowdfunder will use 100% of money raised to help staff working on the frontline to tackle the coronavirus pandemic such as intensive care units, GPs, community nurses and ambulance staff.

Billionaire and Stagecoach Group co-founder Dame Ann Gloag is also among those who have made early donations to the appeal.

She said: "As a former NHS nurse, I can only imagine the horror of trying to do your job without the proper protective equipment during this pandemic.

"If anyone can help, I urge them to do so as these are unprecedented times for our NHS."

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Scottish actors Alan Cumming and Joanna Vanderham have made videos on the site encouraging others to donate with £15 buying a gown a mask and visor and £100 "protects six medical staff a day".

Professor Jill Belch, based at the University of Dundee, brought together the appeal.

She said: "We think the peak will hit in two-three weeks and, with a 10-day run-in period to send the equipment, time is very, very short.

"We are asking people to give now, today, so we can buy the equipment at the beginning of next week and get the equipment here to Scotland as soon as logistically possible.

"The coronavirus epidemic is reaching its peak. We need those who will look after us, to be fit and well, and to be protected so they don't spread the virus to patients, staff and their own families.

"We all know the dreadful attrition rate of medical staff in Italy, where over 100 doctors and many nurses and other health professionals have died.

"23% of coronavirus patients in Italy were medical staff and already UK doctors and nurses are dying."

Social media accounts have been set up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to also help raise awareness of the campaign and the issue.

Prof Belch added: "We know the severity of the illness corresponds to the viral load, and our medical teams are exposed to the sickest of patients, when they are very infectious.

"Our medical teams deserve to be protected when they are bravely working in the frontline this awful pandemic.

"The NHS is bringing equipment in as quickly as it can, and this appeal will help more arrive in time.

"Three approved suppliers have been sourced in China and the Chinese Community of Dundee have organised the import of the PPE.

"We hope sufficient funds will be obtained to satisfy the needs of all community health workers across Scotland."

Morrisons Foundation has set aside a £500,000 fund over the next three months to help charities offer additional protection, services and support to the homeless as a result of Covid-19.

The emergency funds are being provided as homeless people and charities face a crunch because there has been a 48% decline in voluntary income to charities since the onset of Covid-19, many hotels have been forced to close, leaving some without accommodation, and some charities have seen a 20% reduction in staff due to self-isolation and sickness.

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Charities will be able to apply for emergency funding.

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “Morrisons is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society. We know that the coronavirus outbreak presents a particular risk to the homeless and we want to do our bit to help. This new fund will help charities doing vital work to care for the homeless at this critical time.”

Nick Connolly, managing director of End Youth Homelessness, said: "Our member charities need cash to pay for staff, personal protective equipment, food and other essentials to a level they could not possibly have envisaged a few months ago. We are so pleased this is being recognised."

Charities will be able to apply for financial help with outreach and support for rough sleepers, including the supply of food and healthcare essentials.

The Foreign Office has chartered 12 more flights to bring more than 3,000 stranded UK nationals back from India.

They follow seven flights that have already been arranged between April 8 and April 12 and will take the total number of Britons repatriated from India to around 5,000.

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A £75 million operation to charter flights from destinations where commercial routes have been severed due to the coronavirus pandemic was launched by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last week.

But efforts to bring people home from India have previously been criticised by travellers complaining about lengthy waiting lists and expensive fares.

The new flights will leave from Goa, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram between April 13 and April 20, with bookings opened on Friday.

The Foreign Office's Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, said: "We are doing all we can to get thousands of British travellers in India home.

"This is a huge and complex operation which also involves working with the Indian government to enable people to move within India to get on these flights.

"Over 300 people arrived from Goa on Thursday morning, 1,400 more will arrive over the Easter weekend, and these 12 flights next week will bring back thousands more."

The Foreign Office said India is one of its priority countries for arranging charter flights, along with South Africa and Peru, due to the large number of Britons seeking to return.

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