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People in Scotland cannot visit other homes, unless they are exempt
Indoor visiting between homes in Scotland is now prohibited until further notice.
Exactly six months after the country was closed for the first time in March, Scots are once again unable to welcome anyone else into their homes.
Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people in Scotland to comply as of Wednesday, and the app was introduced on Friday.
There are exemptions for certain groups of people.
Those who live alone who form extended households, couples who do not live together, and those who need childcare and merchants do not have to observe the restriction of indoor visits.
The decision to limit the interaction between households was based on evidence from the Test and Protect operation that indicated that this was the main way the virus spread.
The measure was already in effect for more than 1.75 million people in Glasgow and some neighboring local authority areas where local lockdown restrictions began earlier this month.
Now it has spread throughout Scotland in an attempt to get the virus under control before winter. The restrictions will be reviewed every three weeks.
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Nicola Sturgeon made a televised address to the people of Scotland on Tuesday asking them to “join in”
Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday that social interaction between different households was a key factor for transmission and that such restrictions were the best way to reduce the R number.
Later, in a televised address to the nation, he said: “By staying out of other people’s homes for now, we give ourselves the best chance to regain control of Covid.”
- Nicola Sturgeon’s full speech on television
The new rules
Indoors
Do not meet people from other households in your home or someone else’s home socially, unless they are in your extended home. These rules also apply to children.
Children whose parents do not live in the same household may move from one household to another, as can couples who do not live together.
Very limited exemptions apply for childcare and merchants
Outdoor
A maximum of six people from two households can meet in outdoor spaces
You should limit the total number of households you meet in a day as much as possible.
Children under 12 do not count towards the maximum number of households or the number of people that can gather outdoors. Children under 12 do not have to physically distance themselves
A maximum of six young people from 12 to 17 years old can meet in outdoor spaces, without domestic limits. Physical distancing still required
Indoor public spaces
A maximum of six people from two households can meet in indoor public spaces such as cafes, pubs, and restaurants, subject to physical distance rules.
Children under the age of 12 from those two households do not count towards the limits
Indoor and outdoor gatherings in Scotland were restricted to six people from two households just two weeks ago.
However, the number of people who tested positive for the virus has continued to rise since then.
The 383 new cases confirmed Tuesday were the highest daily total since April 15 and the sixth highest since the outbreak began in Scotland.
The prime minister said hospital and intensive care admissions were also starting to rise, with more older people testing positive.
During his televised statement, he said Scotland had to choose its priorities and that they were to save lives and protect health, keep schools open and restart NHS services.
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Pubs, like Sloans in Glasgow, should close at 10pm from Friday.
She said: “Never forget that humanity has gone through even bigger challenges than this. And even though it doesn’t feel that way now, this virus will pass.”
“It won’t last forever and someday, hopefully soon, we’ll be looking back, not living through it.
“If we stand firm and, above all, if we stick together, we will overcome it.”
More measures targeting the hotel industry will take effect on Friday. All bars and restaurants should close at 10pm in line with the changes announced for England.
The prime minister also asked people in Scotland not to book overseas trips for the October holidays “unless absolutely essential” and advised people not to share a car with anyone outside their home.
He also said he was keeping under review the option of a so-called circuit breaker, or a short period of lockdown at the national level. Such restrictions could be scheduled to coincide with the October school holidays, if deemed necessary.
