Pubs given reminder to follow new rules
THE city centre and high streets are slowly coming back to life as lockdown restrictions are gradually eased.
Further measures moving into the Scottish Government’s phase three of exiting lockdown are expected to be confirmed tomorrow by First Minsiter Nicola Sturgeon.
It will see businesses including hairdressers, pubs and restaurants able to open indoors for the first time since March.
However, they will need to conform to strict hygiene and distancing measures to operate safely within guidelines designed to stop coronavirus cases increasing rapidly as they did before and in the early days of lockdown.
Glasgow City Council has set up a City Services team from key departments to help businesses understand the rules that apply specifically to their type of business, so they can restart safely and do so within the guidelines.
The team covers areas the council has responsibility for regulating such as licensing, environmental health, road safety, trading standards and planning, where new regulations, as well as current rules, will be in place.
Denise Hamilton, City Services manager, said rules and guidance can change and businesses need to ensure they are up to speed with what is required for them to be open.
She said: “Everyone wants to see businesses up and running again and we are doing everything we can to make sure that happens as straightforwardly as possible.
“But it is important that businesses understand what is expected of them as restrictions ease. “Government guidance is being updated all the time and there are regular changes being made to the approaches businesses should be taking.” She urged firms to check the City Services webpage for the latest information.
Ms Hamilton added: “Our City Services webpage should be a key resource for any business in Glasgow. All the relevant information from the government’s routemap out of lockdown sits alongside what operators can expect from the council as we emerge from the Covid-19 crisis.
“We’re constantly refreshing the information that’s available and our web pages should be seen as a single, reliable source for business in Glasgow.
“The best advice we can give is to check before opening, don’t just open and hope for the best. Businesses need to understand what they need to do to keep their staff and customers safe and play their part in suppressing the virus.”
Outdoor opening of pubs was allowed from Monday, but certain conditions need to be met before outdoor areas can be used.
The council said: “A streamlined process for pubs and restaurants hoping to open new outdoor areas has also been created.”