Scotland announced date for reopening indoors

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that Scotland is on track to reopen its hospitality industry indoors from Monday 26th April, alongside gyms and non-essential shops.

The country will move down to level three next week, allowing for:

• up to six people from two households to socialise indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant
• unrestricted travel within Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland (subject to local restrictions)
• all shops, stores and close contact services like nail bars to open
• hospitality venues like cafes, pubs and restaurants to open until 20:00 indoors, but without alcohol
• takeaways to resume normal service, with physical distancing and face masks in premises Takeaways can be collected indoors
• alcohol to be served outdoors under local licensing restrictions
• tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering)
• funerals and weddings, including receptions, to take place with up to 50 people (alcohol permitted)
• gyms and swimming pools to reopen for individual exercise
• indoor attractions and public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries to open

The First Minister also announced that rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) tests will be made available to anyone in Scotland and to those planning travel to the islands.

From today, anyone planning travel to the islands next week can order a free home test kit online. The first test should be taken three days before travel and the second on the day of departure.

From Monday, lateral flow home test kits will be available to anyone in the wider population who does not have COVID-19 symptoms. They can be picked up from local walk/drive-through test sites for people to test themselves twice-weekly. Anyone in Scotland who develops COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and book a PCR test.

Sturgeon said:

“The changes that come into force next week have been hard earned by all of us. I know that many will be looking forward – quite rightly – to their first drink in a beer garden, to catching up with a friend in a café, or to going on holiday somewhere in Scotland.

“But even as we enjoy those moments, we still need to be careful. We must remember the virus is more infectious now than it was when bars and cafés were last open, so we must still stick to the rules. However, we are hopeful of seeing sustained progress in the weeks and months ahead.”

For more information on financial support available to businesses in Scotland, click here.