Covid: Click-and-collect ends and alcohol banned outdoors in parts of Scotland
Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen
Click-and-collect services and drinking alcohol outside in some parts will be banned in Scotland as part of the country's tightening of lockdown Covid-19 measures.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said only retailers selling essentials, such as clothing, baby equipment and books, will be able to offer collection services across the country.
For those allowed to continue, the First Minister said “staggered appointments” will be needed to end queuing, as well as not allowing people inside premises.
What are the six new regulations?
Drinking alcohol in public outdoors in all Level 4 areas of Scotland will be banned.
Scots will also be barred from entering hospitality businesses for takeaway services, meaning all sales of food or drink must take place outside the premises.
Click and collect services will be limited to retailers selling essentials, such as clothing, baby equipment and books.
Statutory guidance will be introduced urging employers to support workers to remain at home “wherever possible”.
Guidance previously issued to only allow essential work to be undertaken inside people’s homes will be placed into law.
Regulations will change to forbid people from leaving home for an essential purpose and then doing something considered not to be essential after they have left the house.
The First Minister said: “I know that businesses affected by this change will be disappointed and that many have gone to great lengths to make services as safe as possible.
“But we must reduce as far as is possible the reasons people have just now for leaving home and coming into contact with others.
“I welcome the actions of those businesses that have voluntarily suspended click and collect and tightened their procedures in relation to face coverings.
Alcohol consumption outdoors in all Level 4 areas of Scotland will also be banned.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the changes in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, meaning anyone who buys takeaway alcohol must consume it in their own home.
The new regulation will come into force on Saturday.
Scots will also be barred from entering hospitality businesses for takeaway services, Ms Sturgeon said, meaning all takeaway sales of food or drinks must take place from outside the premises.
The change is an attempt to limit the contact between other people or staff while indoors.
Keen to ensure Scots can remain at home, the Scottish government is also strengthening the laws requiring employers to allow staff to work remotely. The First Minister told MSPs that statutory guidance would now be introduced urging employers to support workers to remain at home “wherever possible”. Guidance previously issued to only allow essential work in people’s houses will now be placed into law, Ms Sturgeon added. She said: “We have already issued guidance to the effect that in Level 4 areas work is only permitted within a private dwelling if it is essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household. We will now put this guidance into law.”
The announcements come as Scotland recorded 79 deaths of coronavirus patients and 1,949 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – is now 5,102.
Speaking at the start of First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said the daily test positivity rate is 10.2%, down from 12% on Tuesday, when 1,875 positive cases were recorded.
A total of 155,372 people have tested positive in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.
There are 1,794 people in hospital confirmed to have Covid-19, up 77 in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 134 are in intensive care, a rise of one in the same period.