RESTRICTIONS on hospitality have come into force in Scotland in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
From Monday (December 27), nightclubs will be shuttered and hospitality businesses will need to return to offering only table service if serving alcohol.
Bars, restaurants and indoor leisure facilities such as gyms, theatres and museums will also have to re-instate one-metre social distancing regulations.
The restrictions come after caps were placed on large events from Sunday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced last week that just 100 people would be able to attend a standing indoor event and 200 seated.
Outdoor events will also be restricted to 500 – a rule which has hit football games hardest. Scottish football authorities took the decision to bring forward the planned winter break, meaning just one game will be played with the reduced number of fans.
The restrictions will be reviewed every three weeks, according to the Scottish Government.
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “These temporary restrictions are targeted at reducing the spread of Omicron while the accelerated vaccination programme takes effect.
READ MORE: What do new restrictions mean for international travel to and from Scotland?
“I understand how difficult this has been for businesses in recent weeks but we must reduce our contacts and limit the spread of the virus.
“We’re providing £375 million in business support, which is a significant investment, to support those who have experienced cancellations and help them get back on their feet in the new year. The best way to support business sustainably is to get the virus back under control. Please get your boosters and stay at home as much as possible just now.”
The last available figures released by the Scottish Government show 7076 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Christmas Eve, with 10 deaths and a positivity rate of 14.6%.
A total of 6154 cases of the new variant were also reported on Friday, up 3832 from the previous day, due to a backlog in laboratory testing.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel