New restrictions on pubs and cafes

As lockdown restrictions are eased in Scotland, stricter rules have come into place to keep staff and customers safe at bars and restaurants.

What are the new rules in bars and restaurants?

Bars and restaurants in Scotland are now required by law to collect contact details of customers.

The rules came into place yesterday.

Contact details may be kept by businesses for 21 days, but after this they must be destroyed or deleted.

The hospitality sector had already been urged to take customers’ information as part of the Test and Trace system. Providing table service, prebooking and avoiding customers standing together or queuing is also now compulsory.

No background music should be played, and TVS should be muted to allow people to hear each other and avoid having to lean in to hear.

Why are the rules being enforced?

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the measures last week, explaining the recent outbreak in Aberdeen, which saw the city placed under a lockdown, had illustrated how coronavirus could spread easily in settings such as pubs.