How are Scotland's COVID Restrictions Changing?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing for two years, and now for the people of Scotland, it finally feels as though life may be returning to a sense of normality.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on 22nd February that all legal COVID-19 restrictions will be scrapped on 21st March. However, many may now be wondering what this means going forward.
Sturgeon has said that Scotland’s current COVID threat level is medium but she expects it to move to low in the period ahead as we move into the warmer weather and flu season comes to an end.
On 28th February, the nation’s vaccine passport scheme ended, however, any business who wished to continue enforcing the use of vaccine passports will be able to do so. The legal requirement for face coverings to be worn on public transport, in hospitality venues and in shops is expected to be downgraded to guidance but any business who chooses to enforce the use of face coverings will still be able to do so.
Legal requirements for business to impose physical distancing and screens to prevent the spread of COVID will also end on 21st March. The rules on self-isolating are, however, not set to change and those who test positive for COVID-19, either on a lateral flow test or a PCR test, will still be required to self-isolate for 7 days and will only be able to come out of isolation if they have no fever and record two negative lateral flow tests within a 24-hour period.
For many, these restrictions being lifted will feel like a breath of fresh air after two years of carefully following restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus.