Scotland will see coronavirus rules change tonight as the country attempts to grapple with the rising rates of coronavirus across regions of the country. The hospitality sector will see restrictions tighten and the strictest new rules affecting 3.4 million people. Express.co.uk has compiled a guide to explain what you can and cannot do in Scotland from tonight.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced new measures earlier this week, which will come into effect from 6pm on Friday.
Ms Sturgeon said: “While there are significant restrictions still in place – and they are hard and painful – we are living much more freely now than in the spring and early summer.
“We are determined – if at all possible – that this will continue to be the case.
“We are not going back into lockdown today. We are not closing schools. We are not halting the remobilisation of the NHS for non-covid care. And we are not asking people to stay at home.
“The need for action is highlighted by today’s figures and, more fundamentally, in the evidence paper published today.
“To try to interrupt this trajectory, we must act now. While the measures will feel like a backward step, they are in the interests of protecting our progress overall.
“It is by taking the tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future.”
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As of October 8, 1,027 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Scotland which equates to 13.5 percent of newly tested individuals.
Of those five new deaths of people who tested positive were also reported.
In total, 31 people were in intensive care having recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Overall, 377 people were in hospital yesterday with a recently confirmed coronavirus infection.
Since the outbreak began, 828,596 have been tested for the virus in Scotland of which 35,787 were positive.
Specific localised restrictions across five areas in Scotland will also come into force.
The affected areas are Ayrshire & Arran, Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire and Lothian.
In these areas the following rules will come into effect from 6pm today:
- All licensed premises will be required to close, with the exception of takeaway services
- Cafés (unlicensed premises) which do not have an alcohol licence will be able to open between 6am and 6pm
- Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue
- Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served
- Specific life events, such as weddings and funerals, may continue with alcohol, with current meeting rules for these events (20 person limit in regulated premises only)
- No group exercise classes for indoor gyms and sports courts, pools with an exemption for under 18s
- No adult (18+) contact sports or training, except professional sports, indoor or outdoor
- No outdoor live events
- Snooker/pool halls, indoor bowling, casinos and bingo halls are to close
- Public transport use should be minimised as much as possible, such as for education and work, where it cannot be done from home
- Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply.
What other rules are changing?
From this weekend onwards, shops in Scotland are being asked to reintroduce the two-metre social distancing rule.
These systems were in effect earlier in the pandemic but were scaled down as cases dropped.
The use of face coverings is also to become mandatory in all indoor communal settings including staff canteens and workplace corridors.
People are also being advised not to share vehicles with people from another household and where this is impossible, they are advised to keep the windows open, to wear a face mask and sit as far apart as possible.
People in areas outside the central belt areas are being asked not to visit this region covered by tighter restrictions.
But other travel is not banned, however, the Scottish government also advises against non-essential foreign travel.
