Pubs in parts of Scotland to close from Friday

Restaurants, pubs and bars in 11 council areas in Scotland, including Glasgow, will be required to close from 6pm on Friday, the Scottish government has announced.

Areas in western and central Scotland have been placed in the country’s highest Covid alert level in an effort to suppress the virus in the lead up to Christmas.

From 6pm this Friday (20 November) Glasgow, Stirling, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian will be placed into level four.

Hospitality outlets must close, but can still offer takeaways, and all non-essential retail operations must close. The new restrictions affect over two million people.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also implemented a ban on people, who live in an area in level three or four, travelling outside their locality, except for essential purposes such as work and care giving.

Sturgeon explained that the decision had been made in order to relieve pressure on health services.

The First Minister said: “In the seven days up to Friday, Scotland as a whole had just over 140 new cases of Covid per 100,000 people. All of the areas moving to Level 4 were above that level. We simply do not have the assurance we need that hospital and ICU services will be able to cope as we go deeper into winter.”

The 11 council areas will be placed in level four for three weeks after which their alert level will be assessed again.

Sturgeon added: “I know people are frustrated that other restrictions have remained in place longer than planned but level four is intended to be short and sharp. And in this situation, it is specifically intended to have an impact in advance of Christmas and the most winter challenging period.”

Reacting to the news, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) said the move effectively signals permanent closure for many licensed hospitality premises.

In a survey of 600 pubs and bars, the SLTA estates that as many as 50,000 jobs could be lost, with as many as two-thirds of the businesses it represents going under in the weeks ahead.

SLTA managing director, Colin Wilkinson, called it the “worst possible news”. He highlighted that even in levels two and three, operators have decided to close down “as it is simply unviable to operate with the current restrictions on the sale of alcohol and the operating times that are currently in place.”

“There has been no meaningful engagement with our industry and there has been no evidence to prove that the virus is being spread within the licensed hospitality sector,” he said. “We reiterate that we support the goal of suppressing the virus, but we also reiterate that we are a sector in crisis with hundreds of businesses facing permanent closure and thousands of jobs hanging in the balance.”

J.D. Wetherspoon has already closed three-quarters of its Scottish pub estate, sites that will remain closed until measures are eased. The Gleneagles Hotel in the Perth and Kinross council area has also announced that it will remain closed for 11 weeks after the region was moved into level three.

Leave your reply

Most Recent Stories

French Michelin Guide sees influx of new stars

Yesterday's launch of the 2024 Michelin Guide for France saw 62 restaurants gain stars, bringing the country's total number of starred establishments up to 639.

What to drink at Morchella

Coming from the team behind Perilla, newly-opened Exmouth Market wine bar promises a European-focused list.

Wine List Confidential: Stem and Stem

Douglas Blyde stops and smells the roses at restaurant and florist Stem and Stem in the City of London. Fittingly, he finds dishes "accented in chlorophyll hues", and a "bouquet menu" that "borrows the language of a wine list".

Sommelier training reshapes the brain, study reveals

It's official: sommeliers are smarter. A new study investigating brain response to tasting wine found that sommelier training doesn't just refine the palate, but reshapes the brain itself.

Fine wine collection gathering dust in abandoned Somerset hotel

Valuable bottles of fine wine have been left languishing in an abandoned hotel, shrouded in dust, since the venue ceased operating during the Covid pandemic.

Most Recent Stories

French Michelin Guide sees influx of new stars

Yesterday's launch of the 2024 Michelin Guide for France saw 62 restaurants gain stars, bringing the country's total number of starred establishments up to 639.

What to drink at Morchella

Coming from the team behind Perilla, newly-opened Exmouth Market wine bar promises a European-focused list.

Wine List Confidential: Stem and Stem

Douglas Blyde stops and smells the roses at restaurant and florist Stem and Stem in the City of London. Fittingly, he finds dishes "accented in chlorophyll hues", and a "bouquet menu" that "borrows the language of a wine list".

Sommelier training reshapes the brain, study reveals

It's official: sommeliers are smarter. A new study investigating brain response to tasting wine found that sommelier training doesn't just refine the palate, but reshapes the brain itself.

Fine wine collection gathering dust in abandoned Somerset hotel

Valuable bottles of fine wine have been left languishing in an abandoned hotel, shrouded in dust, since the venue ceased operating during the Covid pandemic.