Covid in Scotland: What are the latest lockdown rules?
Covid in Scotland: What are the new lockdown rules?
(3 days later)
The Scottish government has toughened the coronavirus restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
The Scottish government has toughened coronavirus restrictions further in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
If you live in Scotland you are no longer allowed to visit other households in their homes, or meet other people in your own house.
New rules have been introduced for the hospitality sector, with the tightest restrictions set to affect 3.4 million people living in the central belt.
A curfew will also be imposed to force pubs and restaurants to close by 22:00. So what are the new rules?
So what are the new measures - and where do they apply?
What are the rules for pubs and restaurants?
All pubs and restaurants in the central belt will have to close, both indoors and outdoors, from 18:00 on Friday.
The stricter restrictions will apply in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley health board areas.
Licensed premises will have to close until 25 October, although they can still serve takeaways.
Cafes which do not serve alcohol can stay open until 18:00.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in the rest of Scotland will not be allowed to serve alcohol indoors. They can only open between 06:00 and 18:00 for food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Licensed premises away from the central belt can continue to serve alcohol outdoors until the 22:00 curfew which was introduced last month.
Hotels across Scotland can serve evening meals to residents but without alcohol.
Alcohol can still be served at weddings and funerals, which are limited to a maximum of 20 people and can only take place in regulated premises.
The existing rules state that a maximum of six people from two households can meet together in hospitality venues, either indoors or outdoors.
Customers have to provide their contact details in case contact tracers need to reach them, and must wear face coverings while moving around and when not eating or drinking.
It is mandatory for staff to wear face coverings, and there can only be table service.
What else is changing in the central belt?
Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls in the five health board areas will have to close for two weeks from 10 October, and outdoor live events will be banned.
Contact sports and training for those aged 18 and over will be suspended for the same period, although professional sports can continue.
Gyms can remain open for individual exercise but indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed - with an exemption for under-18s.
People are being asked to avoid public transport unless it is absolutely necessary, such as for travelling to school or work.
And they are also being advised not to travel outside their own health board area if they do not need to.
What else is changing?
The use of face coverings will become mandatory in indoor communal settings, such as staff canteens and corridors in workplaces.
Face coverings are already compulsory in shops and on buses, trains, trams, planes and taxis.
From this weekend onwards, shops are being asked to reintroduce two metre physical distancing rules and reintroduce some measures which had been taken earlier in the pandemic, such as one-way systems in supermarkets.
While there are no longer restrictions on how far you can travel in Scotland, people are being asked not to visit the parts of the central belt covered by the tighter restrictions. The Scottish government also advises against non-essential foreign travel.
Can I visit my friends and family at home?
Can I visit my friends and family at home?
People across Scotland are being advised not to visit other households indoors from Wednesday 23 September onwards. This will become law from Friday.
People have been banned from visiting other households indoors since 25 September, when a restriction which already covered 1.75 million people in the west of Scotland was extended to the whole country.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said this was because a high proportion of new cases come from interaction with other households within homes.
This restriction was already in place for more than 1.75 million people in Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire.
There are exemptions for those who have formed extended households, to support informal childcare arrangements (such as grandparents coming round to care for grandchildren) and for couples who don't live together.
There are exemptions for those who have formed extended households, to support informal childcare arrangements (such as grandparents coming round to care for grandchildren) and for couples who don't live together.
There is also an exception allowing tradespeople to enter your home to carry out work.
There is also an exception allowing tradespeople to enter your home to carry out work.
If children under the age of 12 meet outdoors they will be exempt from the limits on the number of people who can gather, and on the number of households.
Children under the age of 12 are exempt from the limits on the number of people who can gather outdoors, and on the number of households.
Those who are aged between 12 and 17 are now allowed to meet outside in groups of up to six from six different households. They should observe physical distancing.
Those aged between 12 and 17 are allowed to meet outside in groups of up to six from six different households, but should observe physical distancing.
Police recently got the powers to break up groups of more than 15 people meeting in houses. This was extended to cover parties in student accommodation from 14 September.
Police have powers to break up groups of more than 15 people meeting in houses and to stop parties in student accommodation.
So what's changed?
Over the summer it had been possible for eight people from three different households to meet indoors, and for up to 15 people from five different households to meet outdoors.
Over the summer it had been possible for eight people from three different households to meet indoors, and for up to 15 people from five different households to meet outdoors.
But these rules were tightened up from 14 September. After that date, the limit was reduced to a maximum of six people from two households - either indoors or outdoors.
However, the limit was reduced to a maximum of six people from two households - either indoors or outdoors - from 14 September.
This so-called "rule of six" will still apply outdoors (including in private gardens) and in hospitality venues.
This so-called "rule of six" still applies outdoors (including in private gardens) and in hospitality venues.
What can I go out and do now?
While you can still meet with one other household indoors in a pub, bar or restaurant, they will now have to close by 22:00.
Hospitality venues are exempt from the 2m distancing rule, but they must warn customers they are entering a 1m zone, produce revised seating plans, and take steps such as improving ventilation.
Customers have to provide their contact details in case contact tracers need to reach them.
They must now wear face coverings while moving around hospitality venues and when they are not eating or drinking. It is also mandatory for staff to wear face coverings.
Face coverings are also compulsory in shops and on buses, trains, trams, planes and taxis.
There are no longer restrictions on how far you can travel in Scotland. However, the Scottish government does advise against non-essential foreign travel.
Museums, galleries, cinemas, monuments and libraries have reopened, as have gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts
Outdoor markets had earlier been allowed to open, along with outdoor sports courts and playgrounds, zoos and garden attractions.
Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians and nail salons were allowed to reopen, with enhanced hygiene measures.
People of all ages have been able to take part in organised outdoor contact sports since 24 August.
Bingo halls, amusement arcades, casinos, funfairs and snooker halls were also allowed to reopen, and driving lessons could resume.
Live events such as concerts and comedy can take place outdoors, with physical distancing, enhanced hygiene and restricted audience numbers.
What do these changes mean for work and study?
Children have been back in school since August, although pupils and staff must now wear face coverings when moving about within secondary schools.
University teaching has also now resumed, although many aspects of courses are being taught online.
The message from the Scottish government has remained that anyone who can work from home must do so whenever possible. This has also been the advice of the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland throughout.
In July, the prime minister said people should "start to go back to work now if you can" and last month the UK government launched a campaign to encourage workers back to offices.
But on Tuesday, the UK government changed its advice - it said people in England should now return to working from home "if they can" to reduce social mixing and slow the spread of the virus.
A review had been planned for 1 October on when non-essential offices and call centres could resume operations in Scotland.
But Ms Sturgeon said this review would no longer go ahead and that anyone who could work from home should do so.
Addressing employers who may have encouraged workers to return to offices, she asked them to "please rethink".
The first minister warned that the Scottish government would "put a legal duty on businesses" to allow working from home if necessary.
When could the restrictions be relaxed again?
Commenting on a suggestion that the restrictions could be in place throughout the winter, Nicola Sturgeon said that coronavirus would have an impact on our lives until there were game-changing scientific advances like a vaccine or effective treatment.
But she said that did not necessarily mean that the latest restrictions would be in place for six months.
The measures will initially be in place for three weeks, then will be reviewed. It is likely, however, that they will be extended past the first three-week cycle.
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