ARE PLANS FOR XMAS IN RUINS?
■ Strict measures to tackle increase of Covid-19 virus ■ Scotland ‘likely to remain in phase 3 for some time yet’
NEW rules which ban groups of more than six people meeting indoors have put Christmas gatherings in doubt.
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday unveiled a series of stricter measures in a bid to tackle the resurgence of coronavirus.
The mandatory new rules, which come into effect from Monday, will mean nobody will be allowed to gather indoors or outdoors with more than five other people above the age of 12 – and the group of six must be from no more than two households.
They will apply both indoors and outdoors, including visits to houses, gardens, parks, pubs and restaurants.
Anyone failing to follow the rules will face on-the-spot fines, starting at £30 and doubling if unpaid within 30 days.
Miss Sturgeon warned that Scotland is likely to remain in phase three of her route map out of lockdown ‘for some time yet’ as she revealed another rise in infection rates.
And her spokesman admitted he could not guarantee that the restrictions on gatherings will be relaxed in time for Christmas.
The new rules are stricter than those being brought in by Boris Johnson in England, where gatherings are capped at six but they can be from up to six different households.
Some exemptions apply in Scotland, including under-12s who live in either of the two households.
The restrictions also do not apply for gyms, childcare or organised sports, while there will also be exceptions for places of worship and up to 20 people will be able to attend funeral wakes or wedding receptions. At Holyrood,
Miss Sturgeon said regulations need to be tightened ‘to help curb the spread of the virus especially between and within households’.
She said: ‘To help reduce transmission – but also simplify the rules as much as possible – this new limit will apply both indoors, in houses, in pubs and restaurants, and also outdoors, including in private gardens. ’
She added: ‘The new limit will apply in restaurants, pubs and beer gardens, as well as in our homes. We hope that by reducing the risk of transmission in those settings, it will help to keep the sector open.’
Asked on BBC Scotland last night if the measures would still be in place at Christmas, Miss Sturgeon said she ‘can’t give a definitive answer’.
The original plans for the return of theatre, soft play, indoor contact sport and spectators at sports matches was due to come into force from Monday. But Miss Sturgeon said these changes ‘must be paused for a further three weeks’ and a final decision on whether to let them resume from October 5 will be taken nearer the time.
Two pilot ‘test’ events where up to 300 football fans will attend will go ahead this weekend.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I am well aware that for people who work in the sectors affected by today’s pause, this is a very hard message to hear.
‘I know how long you have waited to start up again. And I know, because I have seen it in so many sectors, how much work you have put into plans for safe reopening. And I know the impact of continued closure.
‘So I want to stress that this decision to delay the indicative date by three weeks has not been taken lightly. But right now, given the rise in cases, it’s the only responsible decision we can reach.’
She said she could not encourage staff working from home to return to offices and call centres before the next review on October 1.
Miss Sturgeon added: ‘For now, working from home will remain the default position.
‘Again, I am aware of the impact of long-term home working on many businesses and employees – and also on shops, cafes and bars which normally attract trade from office workers.’
The latest official figures showed a further 161 confirmed coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to yesterday morning, including 65 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area where additional restrictions were already in force.
There were a further 46 cases in Lanarkshire, 12 in Lothian and eight in Ayrshire and Arran, with the remaining 30 cases spread across eight different health board areas. The reproduction rate of the virus, which shows the average number of people infected by someone who already has it, is now estimated to be above one and possibly as high as 1.5, while across the country there are now 20 cases per 100,000 people.
Ruth Davidson, leader of the Conservatives at Holyrood said: ‘It is clear that, although we can still hope for further progress to be made over the rest of this year, there will be no swift return to normality.’
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘We need to control the spread of the virus more effectively and we urge all to follow the rules.
‘We can ill afford a return to stricter measures. We need to move forward to ensure our economy can recover and stem the loss of jobs where possible. That’s why we need our offices to be allowed to open quickly.
‘For the sake of our theatres, live music venues, soft play and indoor contact sports facilities, clear guidance on when they can reopen safely is also required quickly. We need effort and investment rolled out to ensure testing facilities are expanded and properly resourced. We must learn to manage the spread of the virus smarter.’
Tracy Black, director of CBI Scotland, said: ‘Many businesses are still scrambling to survive and will need targeted support from the Scottish and UK Government to get through the autumn.’
Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, said: ‘This is a particularly worrying development for Scotland’s £723million selfcatering sector.’
‘This is a very hard message to hear’