Covid rules relax but masks stay
The majority of Covid safety measures were lifted in the Strath and beyond – nearly two years since some of them were first introduced.
Local residents no longer have to give their details at hospitality venues for contact tracing purposes, while shops no longer need to issue specific guidelines for customers.
However, the use of face masks will remain in place across the country until at least early April due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases.
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that one in 14 people in Scotland had Covid last week.
Speaking on the extension of the face mask rules, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Vicki Unite said:“Once again, the speed bumps have been placed on the road to recovery and to say it is disappointing is understating the depth of feeling in our businesses.
“They thought they finally had a definitive calendar date when full service could be resumed, but now less than a week before there was to be no legal requirement to adhere to the government’s measures, the rug has been pulled from underneath their feet - again.
“I think we all thought we had come to a clear understanding that we had to live with the virus, even in the face of rising figures, and that businesses would be able to focus on reestablishing stability and growth.
“Yet it is not the green shoots of recovery that we can now see; it is the unpalatable seeds of doubt and confusion, and a fear that uncertainty will continue to hinder businesses, as they desperately try to get things back on track.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:“We are all too aware of the impact the Covid pandemic has had – and continues to have – on retailers, high streets and on the economy. That is why, since the start of the pandemic, businesses have benefitted from more than £4.5 billion in support.
“We are taking action to help retailers and communities recover – not least through our £80 million Economic Recovery Fund and the forthcoming Retail Strategy. We will also listen carefully to any constructive suggestions on what further steps we might take.”