Scotland to ease Covid-19 restrictions
Nicola Sturgeon has announced a new staged approach to easing Covid-19 measures across Scotland.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a new staged approach to easing Covid-19 measures across Scotland.
In a statement to parliament, Sturgeon confirmed the details of the updated Strategic Framework to manage the virus primarily through public health advice, vaccination and treatment, rather than legal restrictions. Welcome news for the country's pubs and bars.
Vaccine certification will no longer be legally required from Monday 28 February, although the app will remain available, so any business that wishes to continue certification on a voluntary basis will be able to do so.
Current legal requirements on the use of face coverings and the collection of customer details for contact tracing purposes are expected to be lifted on 21 March, subject to the state of the pandemic.
Unlike England, access to lateral flow and PCR tests will continue to be free of charge, ahead of a detailed transition plan being published on the future of Scotland’s test and protect programme in March.
People in Scotland who test positive for Covid-19 will continue to be asked to self-isolate. Any changes to the recommended period of self-isolation will be considered on an ongoing basis.
“This announcement from the first minister marks an important milestone in the road to recovery for pubs," says a spokesperson for the Scottish Beer & Pub Association. "Removing the remaining mitigations will give a real boost to the sector. However, it is disappointing that it will be another month before we see the total removal of all these legal restrictions.
“As we move to living with covid as an endemic virus it is important the pub and brewing sector receive the necessary support and guidance to ensure a strong and sustainable recovery. The industry faces a perfect storm of rising inflation, increased costs, supply chain difficulties, labour shortages, with a backdrop of record levels of debt.
“We’re urging governments in Holyrood and Westminster to support the sector’s recovery by continuing to reduce the punitive tax burden on our sector to ensure the sustainability of brewing and pubs, and help us regenerate our cities, towns and villages up and down the country.”
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