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Covid Scotland: Beyond Level 0 lockdown changes explained

Beyond Level 0 Scotland
Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen for the first time since March last year

The last remaining Covid lockdown rules in Scotland have relaxed from today, with the country officially ‘beyond Level 0’.

Nightclubs are allowed to reopen, and social distancing is advised but no longer mandatory.

Only a handful of rules will remain in place, like the use of face coverings, whilst some other issues will be for guidance.

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the ‘beyond Level 0 changes’ last week, and significant changes to how people self-isolate have also come into force.

But what do the changes mean for your daily life? We’ve set them out below.

Beyond Level 0 Scotland – the major Covid changes to daily life

Socialising – There are no limits on the number of people who can meet together indoors or outside, and people can meet inside other people’s houses

Social distancing – Will still be advised in indoor public places, but it is not mandatory or enforced. Some shops might decide to keep the rules in place

Face coverings – The law on face coverings will continue indoors in public places

Hospitality – All businesses will be allowed to reopen, including nightclubs. Indoor hospitality venues must collect contact details

Events – Outdoor events over 5,000 and indoor events over 2,000 will still need permission

Certain travel restrictions will remain in place. 

Travel restrictions – Will be used when necessary to protect against new cases and variants from abroad, with the green, red and amber lists still in place

Homeworking – Employers will be advised to allow home working to continue or start a gradual return to the office

Schools – Social distancing and the use of face masks will continue in schools for the first six weeks of term.

Self-isolation

If you develop any one of the three symptoms of coronavirus you will still be asked to have a test and self-isolate. This will be for 10 days if you test positive.

But depending on your vaccination status, you might be able to avoid self-isolating if you are identified as a close contact of a positive case.

  • You’ll be able to avoid self-isolation if you’ve had two doses or more of the coronavirus vaccine and have a negative PCR test
  • This will only be for those who had their second dose more than 14 days before they were alerted
  • Similar changes will be in place for those 17 and under who have not been vaccinated.

What about ‘vertical drinking’?

Despite some confusion after the rules were announced, drinking at the bar in pubs will be allowed.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney had appeared to suggest “vertical drinking” would still be banned, but this was confirmed not to be the case.

Face masks will also not be required on the dancefloor in nightclubs.

Professor Jason Leitch said: “It does seem to me a bit odd to ask people to dance with face coverings on. I don’t think we will be doing that.”