THE Scottish Government will provide an extra £1.3 million to help students with their mental health and wellbeing, the First Minister has confirmed.
Speaking at the daily briefing this afternoon, Nicola Sturgeon said that students have faced “particular pressures” during the coronavirus crisis.
“This pandemic has placed an additional and quite severe strain, in many cases, on everybody's mental health and wellbeing,” Sturgeon said. "But we know that students have faced some particular pressures since the start of the new academic term.”
The First Minister acknowledged that students have been away from home for the first time while adapting to new forms of learning and socialising.
READ MORE: Covid in Scotland: 31 coronavirus deaths recorded over 24 hours
Some have had to deal with the challenges self-isolating in halls, she added.
"So the Scottish Government is providing an additional £1.3m to improve mental health and wellbeing support specifically for students,” she told the briefing.
The Scottish Government cash will allow colleges and universities to “enhance the support they already provide” – meaning it could be used to increase counselling services, offer more online services or improve institutions’ ability to check students’ welfare.
"Each institution, college, or university will be able to spend the money in a way that they think best meets the needs of their own students, but it should help to ensure that all students get the right support whenever they need it,” the First Minister said.
Her announcement came as it was confirmed that a further 31 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in Scotland over the last 24 hours.
There were also 1071 new coronavirus cases identified across the country, accounting for 5.5% of the tests carried out.
Sturgeon also spoke about changes to the quarantine exemption list. From this afternoon people entering Scotland from Denmark will have to quarantine for 14 days.
It comes as Denmark recorded Covid-19 cases of a variant strain linked to mink farms.
People entering Scotland from Germany and Sweden will also be required to quarantine for 14 days from 4am tomorrow.
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