Happy Monday
Joy as pubs and shops finally open their doors
■ Scots will get their first taste of freedom this year as Covid restrictions are relaxed tomorrow.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to reopen along with non- essential shops, libraries gyms and museums.
Dundee shop boss Hannah Murdoch said: “We’re so excited to welcome everyone back.”
Jennifer Hyland
Scots can rejoice on a magic Monday tomorrow thanks to a mass easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Pubs and non-essential shops are two major parts of normal life which are allowed to open back up.
Workers in both industries have spent the last week or so making preparations since Monday’s return was confirmed by the Scottish Government.
While thousands of Scots will enjoy a relaxing drink in beer gardens up and down the country for the first time in months, many won’t be aware that tomorrow marks the culmination of military-style operations that have gone into their favourite watering holes becoming “Covid-safe” in time to serve up thirst-quenching pints and cocktails.
Oli Norman is among those who has been working hard to ensure that his customers can enjoy a relaxing drink as he opens the doors to three of his seven outlets, Bar Brel and Epicures in Glasgow’s West End and Sloans in the city centre.
He has had to retrain staff to comply with the new rules.
Oli said: “People probably don’t fully understand that you are effectively repatriating people who haven’t done work for a year.
“So we’re actually gearing everybody up to greet the public again and to serve and look after the public with an entirely different menu and a different standard of setting and service.
“Lots of things in terms of customers being greeted and taken to tables is different.
“It means being meticulous and quite militaristic about it to make sure you are operating your venue safely.”
J oh nMc Williams, owner of Edinburgh’s Liquid Room, has spent £100,000 on a new electric roof for his venue’s beer garden.
He said: “I have just redone my beer garden.
“It’s been a nightmare. We were only given two weeks to put the business back together again.
“Everyone is clamouring for stock.
“The breweries have to brew the beer and it has been stressful.”
Donald MacL eod , owner of the Glasgow
Garage nightclub and convenor of the Glasgow Licensing Forum, is furious with what he sees as the Scottish Government’s unfair restrictions.
He has called for all pubs, venues and clubs to be able to reopen so the night-time industry – largely mothballed since March 2020 – can avoid redundancies and companies going under.
He said: “I wish all those who are opening on Monday all the very best but the restrictions are unnecessary, over the top and not science-backed. There is no data that drinking alcohol spreads the virus.
“Two thirds of Scottish bars will not be able to open because of the guidelines and social distancing restrictions.
“Something like 20,000 bars won’t be able to open.”
John is also apprehensive about the future. He sa i d : “The problem is the light at the end of the tunnel is very dim.
“If the jab is doing what it is supposed to do, stopping transmission and doing away with serious illness and everyone in the vulnerable category has had their second jab, what is the problem?”
Pubs will be joined by non-essential businesses from shopping centres to high street stores across the country that have been gearing up to finally reopen their doors after many months of closure during the pandemic.
Extra measures, including limiting shopper numbers and temperature checks, have been brought in to ensure both customers and staff are safe.
Vicki Craig, laser and skin specialist at Therapie, based in Dundee’s Overgate Shopping Centre, said the clinic was due to be busy.
She said: “We cannot wait to see all our lovely clients in Overgate and have been overwhelmed by the response. It’s
been four long months so, suffice to say, the diary is very busy.
“From Monday, there will be no more sitting on Zoom seeing the wrinkles.
“Therapie is back in business ladies, open for bookings and ready to deploy the anti-wrinkle injections and laser hair removal.
“As you would expect, we will have a super-cautious approach to safety with our highly experienced specialists wearing full PPE and doing temperature checks and clients can be assured of their wellbeing at all times.”
Hannah Murdoch, store manager of Little Thistle, the popular Scots-themed gift and homeware brand at the Overgate Shopping Centre, said they had put extra safety measures in place.
She said: “We are so excited to reopen in Overgate and welcome everyone back.
“Every safety measure has been taken to ensure the Little Thistle experience is enjoyable, including hand sanitisers in store, social distancing signage and till point shields, and we can’t wait to see everyone again.”
Many shops are planning early openings and late closures to capitalise on catching those heading to and leaving work.
Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow is also ready to welcome back visitors.
Centre manager Kathy Murdoch said: “We’d like to remind everyone that it’s a legal requirement for all guests coming into the centre to wear a face covering and we have hand sanitisers, a pedestrian flow system, and signage in place to help keep everyone safe.
“We’ll again be managing the capacity of the centre closely and at busier times you may be asked to queue.”
Announcing the changes in restrictions last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged shoppers to be safe.
She said: “We still need to be careful. Covid is at much lower levels than it has been for a long time but it is still circulating.”