Covid 19 - What you need to know - Scotland Increase Restrictions

The Scottish Government has further strengthened restrictions in Scotland in order to stem the increase in Covid Infections.

In a statement announcing the new restrictions the First Minister stated:

“The situation we face in relation to the virus remains extremely serious.

We must continue to do everything possible to reduce case numbers – this is essential to relieve the pressure on our NHS and to save lives.

Both individually and collectively, these additional measures – in further reducing the interactions that allow the virus to spread – will help our essential efforts to suppress it.

At this critical and dangerous moment, please: Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.”

The new measures include:

• A requirement that nobody who lives in a Level 4 area should leave or remain outside their home except for essential purposes.
• Working from home arrangements are to be strengthened through updated statutory guidance. Working from home should now be the default position for all businesses and services, and only those who cannot do their job from home should be asked to go to the workplace.
• From Saturday 16 January 2021 in Level 4 lockdown areas, businesses primarily concerned with the service of food and drink takeaways can only offer the service on a no-indoor entry basis. This means that customers are not permitted to enter the inside of a premises to collect their purchase and that goods will need to be dispensed in a manner that meets this requirement. For example, this could be via the use of a service hatch, a non-internal counter such as a table across the threshold, or passed through a door. This measure is necessary to reduce the risk associated with people gathering in enclosed spaces (indoors) where the virus may spread more easily from person to person.
• Restrictions banning the consumption of alcohol in public places will also be introduced.

Updated guidance tourism and hospitality sector guidance can be found here.