Council leaders are encouraging communities and businesses to 'stick with it' after a proposed date for lifting the ‘stay at home’ rule was announced today by the Scottish Government.
A timeline for easing Covid-19 restrictions was laid out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon (Tuesday 16 March), starting with restrictions easing from the 2 April to allow people to stay local (ie, in their local authority area), unless for essential purposes.
This will be followed by a Scotland-wide lifting of restrictions on travel from the 26 April when Scotland will go back to a regional level-based system of local restrictions with Edinburgh, alongside the rest of the country, going back to level four or three.
Council Leader Adam McVey said:
This is a welcome and clear roadmap out of lockdown that gives us all something positive to look forward to.
The successful roll-out of the vaccine programme and the fall in positive cases across Edinburgh is testament to the collective efforts of our health services, our residents and our businesses. The hard work and sacrifices we’re making are the only way can achieve the roadmap and return to normal.
We are moving in the right direction, with rates across the city at one of the lowest levels since spring last year. We must stick with it and stay within the guidelines, to continue to keep the virus under control and keep our communities safe.
I know so many of our local traders are anxious to open their doors again and I hope everyone will join me in getting out when we can to support businesses near us and in our city centre. We’ll very soon be able to fully enjoy everything our amazing city has to offer and welcome back friends and visitors to our Capital.
Depute Leader Cammy Day said:
Tuesday 23 March, a week today, marks a full year since the country went into lockdown and our condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones during this unprecedented crisis. We will remember them during a national silence next Tuesday.
Today’s announcement is really good news for businesses across Edinburgh as travel restrictions look to be eased across Scotland from 26 April. Opening up retail, hospitality and tourism gives us all something to look forward to and meeting up with more loved ones in outdoor settings for something to eat and drink will be a real treat again.
Until then it’s important we don’t drop our guard - we need to continue to observe this gradual, phased approach so we can protect people’s health and safety while working towards Edinburgh’s successful recovery from the pandemic. We all want to keep the virus under control and keep everyone safe.
So for now, until 2 April, our advice remains the same – please stay at home and help save lives. Hope’s on the horizon and we’ll get there even faster if we stick together now.
The following timeline is proposed over the coming weeks and months:
- From the 5 April
- A phased re-opening of non-essential shops across Edinburgh. This will include click and collect services, car showrooms and forecourts, garden centres, hardware stores, hairdressers and barbers
- sports for 12 to 17-year-olds are expected to resume and more students – particularly in further education - will be allowed to return to on-campus learning.
- From 26 April
- All remaining retail premises will be allowed to reopen, along with tourist accommodation, libraries, museums, galleries and indoor gyms for individual exercise
- Outdoor hospitality settings, including cafes, restaurants and bars will be able to serve groups of up to six people from three households until 10:00pm with alcohol permitted
- Limited opening of indoor hospitality which will be limited to the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks until 8:00pm, and for groups of up to four people from no more than two households
- Restrictions on people meeting up outdoors will be raised to allow six people from up to three households to gather
- All tourist accommodation will be able to re-open, subject to any restrictions, and the limit on wedding and funeral attendance could be raised to 50 people.
- Gyms and swimming pools will be open for individual exercise and non-essential childcare would be permitted.
- From the 17 May
- Up to four people from two household can socialise indoors in a private home or public space
- Hospitality venues can open until 10:30 pm indoors (alcohol permitted, 2-hour dwell time) and 10:00 pm outdoors (alcohol permitted)
- Outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart
- Cinemas, amusement arcades, and bingo halls can open, while small-scale outdoor and indoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints.
- From early June,
- The ambition is that all of Scotland will move to level 1 - which will allow for a further easing of restrictions.
- Up to six people from up to three households can socialise indoors in a home or public place. Up to eight people from three households can socialise outdoors
- Eight 12-17 year olds can meet socially from eight households outdoor.
- Hospitality can remain open until 11pm
- Attendance at events can increase numbers subject to capacity constraints.
Plans for meeting indoors will be kept under ongoing review.
There will be a national silence will be held on 23 March to mark the first anniversary of lockdown to remember all those who have lost their lives during the pandemic.
Public advice is available on the Scottish Government website and information on Council services during the pandemic can be found at our coronavirus webpage.