Scottish pubs and bars must collect customer details by law from today
and live on Freeview channel 276
Pubs and bars must, by law, take contact details from all their customers from today, as new Scottish government rules on hospitality come into force.
The Scottish government hopes the rule change will help Test and Protect officials perform contact tracing more effectively, after a surge in Covid-19 cases in Scotland.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnnouncing the measures last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the hospitality sector was a “common factor” in the rise of new coronavirus outbreaks around the world.
She said settings like pubs and restaurants were particularly susceptible to the virus.
While she said the majority of businesses had complied with coronavirus measures imposed on hospitality, she added: "it is clear there are some businesses where that has not been the case".
“Really restrictive” new rules for venues
New rules designed to combat the spread of coronavirus also make clear that hospitality venues should be asking people to pre-book tables and that there should be no queues to enter.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdTVs should be muted and background music is banned, to prevent customers from shouting or leaning closer to one another.
No more than three households at a time can meet each other in a group.
Staff may wear face shields or visors in addition to face masks, but not instead of them.
Ms Sturgeon said that the new rules for hospitality businesses may be “really restrictive”, but were necessary to protect the public.
Police Scotland will enforce the measures if necessary.
A message from the Editor
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.
Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.
By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.
Joy Yates
Editorial Director
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.