The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
New hospitality rules are a death sentence, says sector
Hospitality bosses say the 16 - day indoor booze ban, ordered up as part of a sobering array of new measures to tackle coronavirus, will be a “death sentence” for many businesses across Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon has announced all licensed premises will be prohibited from serving alcohol indoors, and all hospitality venues will be subject to an indoor curfew of 6pm from tomorrow until October 25.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés will be able to continue serving alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10pm, and hotel restaurants will be allowed to operate beyond 6pm, but only for residents and without alcohol.
Around 3.4 mi l l i o n people in central Scotland will be subject to even tougher restrictions, with all pubs and restaurants ordered to close entirely until further notice.
There will be exemptions in all parts of the country for services l i n ke d to specific life events, such as weddings that are already booked, and funerals.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, as daily coronavirus cases in Scotland surged past 1,000 for the first time, the first minister said the “vast majority ” of pubs and restaurants had worked hard to ensure the safety of their staff and customers.
But she added: “Indoor environments , where different households from different age groups can mix, inevitably present a risk of transmission.
“That risk can be increased in some hospitality premises if good ventilation is difficult, and if it is hard to control the movement of people. The presence of alcohol can, of course, affec t people’s willingness to physically distance.”
Ms Sturgeon announced new regulations to extend the mandatory use of face coverings in indoor communa l sett ings , including staff canteens and co r r ido r s in workplaces.
Shops and supermarkets will be asked from this weekend to return to twometre physical distancing and to reintroduce one-way systems.
Stephen Montgomery, spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group, warned that the first minister had “effectively signed a death sentence” for many businesses in the Scottish hospitality industry.
His claims were echoed in the chamber by Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who said the sector “is not Sodom and Gomorrah and should not be treated as such”.
“Why doesn’t the first minister consider closing down those businesses which are not complying with guidance, instead of shutting down every single business, serving 70% of the population, including those which are fully complying?” he asked.
“Where is the evidence that Covid is spreading in all hospitality settings to warrant a blanket ban on all of these establishments?”
Joe Crawford, director for Scotland at the Campaign for Real Ale, said the announcement was “absolutely devastating news for pubs and breweries” and thousands of premises could close for good by Christmas.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I know that the measures we are proposing today will have a significant impact on many businesses.”
She added: “And since the government is placing an obligation on businesses, we also have an obligation to help businesses.
“I can announce that we are making available an additional £40 million to support businesses that will be affected by these measures over the next two weeks.
“We will work with the affected sectors – especially hospitality – in the coming days to ensure this money provides the most help to those who most need it.”
The Scottish Beer and Pub Association said the £40m is unlikely to have a large impact and warned thousands of jobs are now at high risk, not just in the pub and hospitality sector but across the supply chain.
CEO Emma McClarkin said the restrictions would “deliver a knockout blow for many of Scotland’s much-loved pubs and the communities they serve”.
“For the majority of premises, the available funds will not even come close to covering the requ i red fu r lough contributions for the period, never mind ongoing costs and stock,” she said.
Ru t h Davidson, the Scottish Conser vatives’ leader at Holyrood, said owners “deserve better” and should have been consulted in advance of the announcement.
“A one-day consultation after today’s announcement – and just hours before businesses are forced to close their doors – is just not good enough,” she said.
Official figures released by the Scottish Government yesterday indicated 1,054 new cases had been registered overnight, 13% of those newly tested.
One death was recorded in the previous 24 hours, taking the total under this measure – patients who died within 28 days of first testing positive – to 2,533.
There were 319 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by 57 in 24 hours. Of those patients, 28 were in intensive care, an increase of three.