Police vow to enforce virus pub ban

ENGLAND - Scottish police will enforce the coronavirusrelated ban on pubs, clubs and restaurants opening if necessary, the chief constable has said.

Iain Livingstone said in a statement: “To be clear, no public houses or other entertainment venues should be opening for patrons until further notice.”

He thanked “the overwhelming majority” of people complying with the ban and said police were monitoring proposed legislation to counter the spread of Covid-19 and its potential implications for policing.

“In the meantime, those breaking the law will be dealt with appropriately to ensure the public is kept safe from risk and harm as we continue to police the country,” he said on Saturday.

Bars, cafes restaurants, cinemas and theatres have all closed in the wake of the latest official health warnings and government advice. Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said on Friday that Scots must not treat the call to stay away from such venues as optional, insisting the measure was “vital to help us save lives”. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said they were still receiving reports of anti-social behaviour and end-of-school parties despite the new restrictions.

Vaughan Gething, the minister for health and social services, said pharmacies could restrict their opening hours to protect staff.

He also reassured health and social care workers there would be enough personal protective equipment (PPE) available for those who needed it.

Gething, who was self-isolating because his son had developed a cough, revealed plans to increase testing for coronavirus in Wales, with the capacity to complete 9,000 a day by the end of April.

Gething said Wales was implementing the ban on cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants, gyms and theatres opening “because we need to reduce the number of places where people can gather in numbers and to reduce the opportunities for the virus to spread”.

(The Guardian)