FM tells Scotland to ‘keep the heid’ as pubs re-open
Sturgeon urges Scots to stick to rules to avoid new virus outbreak
NICOLA Sturgeon has urged Scots to “keep the heid” as pubs and restaurants welcome customers inside today for the first time in almost four months.
The First Minister said she did not want to be a “big wet blanket” but urged people to stick to the rules to avoid the virus flaring up again.
Hospitality businesses can now re-open indoor areas as long as safety measures are in place such as requiring customer contact details. Beer gardens and other outdoor spaces re-opened last week.
Physical distancing rules have been reduced to one metre in pubs, restaurants and cafes, as well as shops and public transport.
Scotland’s tourism industry can also re-open from today, alongside museums, libraries, galleries and cinemas and services such as hairdressers, barbers and the childcare sector.
Ms Sturgeon said those who are not prepared to abide by public health advice are potentially putting lives at risk.
And she warned the Scottish Government will not shy away from implementing local lockdowns if the virus starts to flare up. She said that today “marks the biggest step so far out of lockdown”.
It came as no new coronavirus deaths were reported in Scotland for a sixth day in a row, meaning the total number of confirmed deaths remains 2,490.
Ms Sturgeon said only two people were in intensive care with confirmed coronavirus cases, although there were a further 10 suspected cases.
As of yesterday, a total of 668 patients were in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, up 67 from 550 the previous day.
Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon said: “I’d love to be at the stage where I could just say to people, ‘Crowd into the pubs and don’t worry about it’.
“I’m not going to say that because I can’t say that, and I wouldn’t be doing the hospitality industry any favours.
“They would all be closed down again sooner than we knew where we were.
“What I’m saying to people is enjoy these freedoms that have been hard won over the past four months, but do it carefully.
“And if you’re not prepared to abide by the public health advice about how we do it carefully, then stay away because you’re putting others at risk, and I’m afraid given
It’s in everybody’s interest that we just all keep the heid around this and do the right things
what we’re dealing with just now that includes putting people’s lives potentially at risk.”
Ms Sturgeon referenced moves in California to shut down pubs, restaurants and other facilities following a surge in the virus.
She said officials would look carefully at cases in Scotland and the “direction of travel”.
She said: “We want to avoid, if we possibly can, going into further lockdowns, certainly further blanket lockdowns, but we may have to take targeted, localised decisions to try to constrain any further spread.
“I won’t take any of these decisions lightly, and the Scottish Government will not take a single one of these decisions lightly, but we won’t shy away from doing what has to be done.
“I don’t want to see this virus take off again, because I know the toll that takes on lives and on health and on the economy.
“So we will take whatever action is required.”
The First Minister said everyone knows alcohol can lower inhibitions and change behaviour, adding: “We just have to think much, much more carefully now.”
She said: “I don’t want to be the big wet blanket – there’s a headline that I’ve written for somebody tomorrow – on people’s summer enjoyment.
“But much, much more the case, I don’t want to be standing here in a month’s time reading out horrific figures again on ICU cases and hospital admissions and deaths, and if we’re not all really careful right now, that’s exactly what I will be doing.”
She added: “It’s in everybody’s interest that we just all keep the heid around this and do the right things.”
Ms Sturgeon warned the latest changes are the “highest risk” and told people not to go to pubs and other venues if they do not want to provide contact details.
As part of the Scottish Government’s contact tracing system, customers are expected to hand over this information so they can be tracked following any potential positive cases of coronavirus.
She said: “Our most immediate risk is not a second wave of Covid, it is a resurgence of the first wave.
“The changes that come into force [today] are the highest risk changes so far since we started to come out of lockdown because many of them involve indoor activity and we know the risk of the virus spreading indoors, in a pub for example, is significantly higher than outdoors.”
The Scottish Government yesterday published a raft of guidance for businesses and other facilities preparing to re-open, including on collecting contact details.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Data collection is very important, it means that customers or staff can be notified if they come into contact with somebody who is subsequently found to have Covid-19.
“It’s therefore absolutely crucial to our test and protect system, and it’s one of the measures that we hope will help to build public and staff confidence as more premises reopen.”
After urging businesses to read the updated guidance, the First Minister added: “I would make a plea to all customers to accept that, if you want to go somewhere like a hairdresser or a place of worship or to a popular restaurant, you will be asked to provide contact details. You should co-operate with anyone who is asking you to do that.
“In fact, if you’re not prepared to provide your contact details, my message to you is pretty blunt – don’t go to these places, because you could be putting others at greater risk.
“Today’s guidance is in the best interest of businesses and the public overall, and all of us, as has been the case throughout this crisis, have a shared interest in making it work effectively.”
Yesterday Jackson Carlaw, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, urged people to spend locally.
Speaking at the Cartvale Bar in Busby in his Eastwood constituency, Mr Carlaw said: “Tomorrow, at long last, our pubs, restaurants, cafes are all able to open again to the public and it’s incredibly important that we support them.
“If we want these amenities to exist, if we want to see them at the heart of our communities, we need to get out and support them as well.”
He has called on the Scottish Government to create a mass marketing campaign urging Scots to shop locally.
Elsewhere, visitors were urged to be “considerate” to communities as Scotland’s tourism sector reopens.
There have been fears in some remote areas over the impact of an influx of visitors.
Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing stressed the sector will open in a “safe and sustainable manner”.
He said visitors should be “considerate of local communities and respect those living in the area you are visiting”.
Speaking ahead of a visit to see the new hygiene and safety measures being taken at Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, Mr Ewing said: “Last month, we gave the industry the indicative re-opening date of July 15 and I’m pleased we are now in a position where Scotland’s world-class hotels and tourism attractions can begin to re-open in a safe and sustainable manner.
“We have worked closely with stakeholders including representative bodies and trade unions on guidance for safely restarting the sector to ensure employees are protected and visitors can have full confidence in planning their trips.
“Indeed, I am impressed by the strong and comprehensive action so many businesses across the country are taking as they make their preparations.”
James Thomson, the owner of Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh, said his staff are looking forward to welcoming guests.
Temperature checks for staff and guests, hand santiser stations, online check-in, personal menus, automatic doors, face shields for staff and cleaning rooms via electrostatic fogging machines are some of the measures now in place.
Meanwhile, religious services at churches and other places of worship, which can also restart today, are to be strictly limited to a maximum of 50 people. Guidance also states communal singing and chanting “should be avoided”.
Worshippers will have to stay at least two metres apart from other members of the congregation who are not part of their household, and places of worship will also have to collect names and contact details for those attending for services. Communal items, such as prayer books or prayer mats, will have to be removed from use.