Scotland re-opens after good progress on Covid – Angus Robertson

Scotland’s weather doesn’t always help, but with cafes, restaurants and pubs opening outside seating areas, the time has come to do our bit and support local businesses. After 15 weeks in lockdown, restrictions were lifted yesterday on the hospitality sector making it possible to serve coffee, food and drinks at Edinburgh’s pavement cafes, outdoor restaurant seating and beer gardens.

Public safety is still a major priority with the al fresco experience involving strict distancing and hygiene rules as well as the necessity to leave contact details in case people need to be traced in the event of an outbreak. Businesses like the Cold Town House in the Grassmarket have been amongst the first to open, with their rooftop terrace below the Castle serving food and drinks. Reservations are necessary, time at the tables is restricted, the menu is online and staff are on hand to explain the additional health-and-safety precautions.

Amongst the first customers was First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who said she is she is keen to to see the economy restart but is nervous about relaxing restrictions. “I think I will be nervous right throughout this because when we’ve have had the country on a strict lockdown with everyone by and large staying at home you can keep the virus under control,” she said at the site of the former Robertson Memorial Church on the Grassmarket. With a coronavirus outbreak in Dumfries and Galloway reminding everyone of the ongoing threat, Ms Sturgeon said: “If we drop our guard and stop complying with these safety measures the virus will spread again because it has not gone away.”

In recent days, there have been scenes which should make everyone concerned about people ignoring or forgetting the importance of social distancing. Revellers in London took advantage of the earlier lifting of lockdown in England to pack places like Soho, raising fears of potential infection. That is exactly what has happened in the United States where bars have had to be closed after Covid-19 cases have risen considerably in many states. In Australia, the border has been closed between Victoria and New South Wales, and Kazakstan has become the first country in the world to return to full national lockdown.

Scotland’s caution on emerging from lockdown has secured major results with significantly lower coronavirus prevalence rates than England, so it is sensible to get the public health safeguards right as the economy opens up. The Scottish Government has temporarily relaxed planning regulations to support the hospitality industry, allowing the use of public footpaths for seating and structures such as open-sided gazebos. A £320 million support package is also aimed specifically at the tourism and hospitality sector.

Edinburgh Council is fast-tracking permissions to open outdoor seating at hard-hit restaurants and cafes, with the aim of using on-street parking areas as seen during the Festival season in recent years and incentivised by reduced or removed costs to business.

With travel restrictions lifted in Scotland, we are all able to support Edinburgh’s re-opening businesses. Edinburgh’s hospitality sectors are busily promoting the agenda to “visit your own city”. The weather forecast is not bad over the next days so please support Edinburgh’s reopening cafes, restaurants, pubs and other businesses.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Joy Yates

Editorial Director