Sturgeon confirms restart date for Scottish hospitality

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Nicola Sturgeon confirms restart date for Scottish hospitality

Related tags Scotland Social Distancing ukhospitality Coronavirus

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that pubs and restaurants in Scotland can reopen for indoor service from next Wednesday (15 July), providing they follow strict health measures.

The First Minister made the announcement to MSPs at Holyrood earlier today (9 July).

She said: “Just as with indoor household meetings, opening up indoor hospitality poses significantly increased risks of transmission.

“So it is essential that the guidance on health and safety is followed rigorously, by businesses, staff and customers.

“That includes guidance on physical distancing and taking customer contact details."

Reaffirming what she said last week​, the First Minister added that hospitality venues will also be allowed to operate under a reduced contact gap of contact gap of one metre, providing mitigations are met.

Trade body UKHospitality says the announcement brings 'welcome flexibility' for the country's hospitality sector.

“This is great news for hospitality and tourism in Scotland," says Willie Macleod, UKHospitality executive director for Scotland.

"Venues will be eager to open their doors and welcome customers once again. Many of them will have learned valuable lessons this week opening up their outdoor areas and they will feel confident they can keep staff and customers secure.

“The additional flexibility around social distancing will be a huge help for businesses that need as much support as they can get. Venues will be diligent in their preparations and every step will be taken to ensure staff and customers are safe."

Wales is now the only part of the UK without a restart date for indoor hospitality.

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