Nightclubs can reopen from Monday 24th January and all hospitality restrictions will also be lifted – that is the necessity to provide table service and physical distancing. The news was delivered by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to Parliament this afternoon. However, she has clarified that Covid passports will still be required in late-night venues whether they have a dancefloor or have put tables on the dancefloor.
The Covid Certification scheme is not however being extended to other premises. The First Minister said it would not be “proportionate at this stage.” As she revealed that Omicron peaked in the first week of January and that the guidance asking people to stick to a three household limit has been lifted
Face coverings in all public settings are still required as is the necessity for hospitality premises to continue to collect contact details of their customers.
Businesses were also encouraged to allow their staff still to work from home.
Stephen Montgomery, spokesman for Scottish Hospitality Group, “While it is really good news to see the First Minister lift restrictions today we don’t understand why it couldn’t be with immediate effect, given the fact that stadiums are full.
“However the news on the changes for late-night venues and nightclubs which no longer allows them to put chairs and tables on dancefloors to remove them from the scope of Covid Certification is something which we categorically oppose. This could bring more people into the scope of certification. To put it bluntly, the Covid Certification policy should be removed altogether. Again, this is an example of where there has been zero consultation with the sector before a policy change has been announced”
