A new staged approach to easing protective measures will help Scotland manage and recover from the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a statement to Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the details of the updated Strategic Framework to manage COVID-19 primarily through public health advice, vaccination, and treatment rather than legal restrictions.
The First Minister also set out an indicative timescale for remaining legal protections to be lifted:
- vaccine certification will no longer be legally required from Monday 28 February, although the app will remain available so any business that wishes to continue certification on a voluntary basis to reassure customers will be able to do so
- current legal requirements on the use of face coverings, the collection of customer details for contact tracing purposes, and for businesses, service providers and places of worship to have regard to guidance on Covid and to take reasonably practicable measures set out in the guidance are expected to be lifted on 21 March, subject to the state of the pandemic
- access to lateral flow and PCR tests will continue to be free of charge, ahead of a detailed transition plan being published on the future of Scotland’s test and protect programme in March
People who test positive for COVID-19 will continue to be asked to self-isolate to reduce the risk of infecting other people. Any changes to the recommended period of self-isolation will be considered on an ongoing basis.
The First Minister said:
“Covid is unfortunately still with us and we must therefore remain vigilant and prepared for the threats it poses. But today’s new framework is an important moment in our recovery. It marks the point at which we move away, hopefully sustainably, from legal restrictions, and rely instead on sensible behaviours, adaptations and mitigations.
“Our return to normality must go hand in hand with a continuing determination to look out for and after each other. All of us have a part to play in ensuring a safe and sustainable recovery, so please continue to follow public health advice on getting vaccinated, testing as regularly as appropriate, wearing face coverings when required or recommended, and keeping rooms ventilated.
“All of this still matters, even as we lift the remaining legal requirements. It is how we can keep ourselves and each other safe, as we recover from Covid and look forward together to brighter and better days ahead.”
Stephen Montgomery, Spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitality Group, said:
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s new Strategic Framework and the decision to downgrade the remaining blanket restrictions to guidance in the coming weeks, and will now take the time to digest its contents. The Scottish Hospitality Group has consistently campaigned for the removal of unnecessary burdens on our sector and today is a significant step in the right direction.
In particular, we welcome the end to the COVID passports scheme and test and protect, which places a heavy bureaucratic burden on hospitality venues with little beneficial effect to protecting our customer’s health. There are a number of details which will require further thought and consultation, and we would have liked to see a clearer and faster transition to the end of restrictions and mandatory use of masks, as keeping these for a further month does nothing for rebuilding consumer confidence.
As the owners of Scotland’s best-loved pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels, we will continue to do all that we can to keep our customers safe and we know that our loyal customers will welcome this step towards normality.
Our focus now turns to restoring public confidence in Scotland’s much-loved hospitality venues and focusing entirely on supporting our sector to recover. We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Scottish Government to help us to do so.”
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