First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has today announced tightening of Scotland’s lockdown rules to come into force on Saturday.
Addressing the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said the situation in the country “remains precarious and serious” and although the current lockdown restrictions seem to be having an effect, it is too soon to be confident that the situation is stabilising in Scotland, so it was necessary to bring further rules in to suppress the virus.
These are all the new restrictions that were announced.
Click and Collect Services
Click and collect services are going to be restricted to retailers selling essential goods such as clothes and footwear, baby equipment, homeware and books.
All other click and collect services must stop.
The click and collect services that are allowed to continue must offer staggered appointments for queuing – and people will not be able to go inside shops to collect their packages.
Takeaway Services
Customers will no longer be able to enter a premises to pick up a takeaway order, instead, any place offering takeaway goods must do so through a serving hatch or doorway.
Alcohol
Different areas of Scotland have different rules for outdoor alcohol consumption, but under the new restrictions drinking alcohol outside in public in all Level 4 areas will be against the law.
That means buying a takeaway pint and drinking it outdoors will not be allowed.
Working from Home
The Scottish government will make it a legal obligation on employers to allow staff to work from home.
Ms Sturgeon said: “If your staff were working from home during the first lockdown last year, they should be doing so now.”
Work Inside Houses
Work is only permitted within a private home if it is essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household.
This ‘guidance’ will now be put into law.
Stay at Home
Right now, the law states that people should only leave home for an essential purpose – but people could stay out and do something that is not essential without breaking the law.
The final tightened restriction is intended to “close this loophole” in the stay at home order, Ms Sturgeon said.
The amendment will make clear that people should not leave or remain outside their homes unless it is for an essential purpose.
