Business relief as Sturgeon aims to lift all virus rules on August 9
NICOLA Sturgeon has announced plans to lift all major coronavirus restrictions on August 9.
It came as the First Minister confirmed all of Scotland is due to move to Level Zero from July 19, following a three-week delay.
Ms Sturgeon previously signalled the delay was likely in order to buy more time to vaccinate people.
Business leaders said firms “can finally breathe a sigh of relief” but warned continued financial support is essential.
Speaking in Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said the high number of new coronavirus cases was behind the pause in lockdown easing.
Scotland was initially due to move to Level Zero – the lowest level of restrictions under the fivetier system – on Monday.
Yesterday, figures showed 2,167 cases were recorded in Scotland in the previous 24 hours – the highest daily figure since January 8.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously announced England’s “freedom day” would also be delayed to July 19.
Ms Sturgeon set out a series of vaccination milestones and said if these and other criteria are met, the majority of restrictions could be lifted by August 9.
She said: “Our assessment – on
balance and assuming we meet the necessary conditions on vaccination and harm reduction – is that it would be possible and proportionate to lift the major remaining legal restrictions on August 9.
“We will consider and make a final assessment nearer the time of whether – as we hope – this could include the lifting of the legal requirement to physically distance indoors as well as outdoors.”
The First Minister said the move to “beyond Level Zero” will “signal a return to almost complete normality in our day-to-day lives”.
But she warned that “the pandemic will not be completely over by this stage”, and suggested there will still be a requirement for people to wear face masks in certain settings such as public transport and shops.
Elsewhere, she said the Government would not immediately recommend a return to office working when all restrictions are lifted.
Minor changes to the rules around weddings and funerals will take place from Monday.
This will include wedding staff no longer counting towards the cap on attendees, while those accompanying the couple down the aisle will no longer need to wear face coverings.
Live entertainment at receptions will also be possible – although people will still need to be seated at tables.
For funerals, people from more than one household will also now be allowed to carry a coffin or take a cord when lowering it.
More substantial changes for weddings and funerals will take place on July 19, when the cap on attendees rises to 200 people.
Changes to physical distancing rules are also due to come into force on July 19, removing the need for outdoor distancing and moving the indoor requirement to one metre.
Depending on vaccination progress, the Scottish Government proposes removing all legal physical distancing requirements on August 9.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Of course, while this is a longed-for moment, it is important to recognise that we still have a difficult path to navigate over the next few weeks to meet these milestones and, even assuming we do, the pandemic will not be completely over at this stage.
“As our strategic framework update paper sets out, basic mitigations will still be required, as we move through summer and into the autumn, when we face the risk of a further resurgence in cases.”
She added: “Measures such as rigorous and regular hand washing, cleaning surfaces, and good ventilation will continue to be vital.
“And even if we lift the legal requirement, we may still advise keeping a careful distance from people outside our close contact groups, especially if they are not fully vaccinated.
She continued: “Also, at least for a period, we are likely to require continued wearing of face coverings in certain settings - for example, shops and public transport.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said it was “welcome that we finally have changes to weddings and funeral guidance, although it’s disappointing that this has come so late”.
He added: “It’s encouraging to see more of a route map towards the end of restrictions but a number of crucial questions remain.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for clearer financial support protocols for businesses and better communication.
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is the moment businesses have been waiting for and they can finally breathe a sigh of relief that Scotland is now on the path to the lifting of all restrictions from August 9.”
She added: “However, as long as restrictions remain in place, it is essential that the Scottish and UK governments continue to provide focused and targeted financial support as well as supporting businesses in the longer-term as they recover from this unprecedented period of economic disruption.”
Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, called the news a “very big step in the right direction... and a light at the end of a very long tunnel”.
Elsewhere, legislation to extend emergency coronavirus measures by at least six months will be debated over just three days following a vote in Holyrood.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser called the move a “brazen overreach”.