First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a timeline for the reopening of Scotland and easing of Coronavirus restrictions.
On Tuesday, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced the reopening of pubs in England from the 4th of July, with hairdressers, restaurants and cafes all set to be able to open on the same day – with the new one metre plus social distancing guideline also in place. Scotland will have to wait a further two weeks, with Sturgeon announcing the 15th of July as the date for restaurants, pubs, bars and hairdressers to reopen.
The easing of restrictions in Scotland will include a staggered opening of businesses, with the 5-mile travel restriction being lifted on Friday 3rd of July and two households being allowed to meet from the 10th.
This will come after other restrictions lift on the 29th June, such as the opening of all retail stores – as long as they have an outside entrance and exit – as well as outdoor markets and outdoor sports courts.
Zoos and other outdoor attractions are also allowed to reopen from June 29, although the 5-mile restriction for travelling to these will stay in place until the 3rd of July, and tickets must be bought in advance to allow for the controlling of numbers and compliance with social distancing rules. From 3 July, self-catering accommodation will be able to reopen.
This latest announcement of the easing of restrictions will likely give hope of normality to a nation who have had some far stronger restrictions for longer than the rest of the United Kingdom.
