Hospitality restrictions to remain in place until early November

RESTRICTIONS on hospitality in Scotland are set to remain in place until 2 November, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

The temporary restrictions, which include a ban on hospitality venues selling alcohol indoors and a 6pm curfew, are set to be replaced by a new tiered system on 2 November.

The hospitality restrictions were due to expire on 26 October.

The first minister confirmed that there will be additional support for affected businesses.

Sturgeon also said on Wednesday that 1,739 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported, but she said some of them would be “catch-up” following a backlog.

She said 28 additional deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.

The first minister, however, said this does not mean that the latest restrictions are not having an effect.

Sturgeon said that a strategic framework on the tiered system of restrictions will be published on Friday.

The tiered system will enable varying levels of restrictions to be applied in different areas of the country.

Grant O’Neil of Busta House Hotel said the extension of the temporary restrictions was not entirely unexpected. And while this created additional difficulties the hope was that once the tier system was in place in early November, Shetland and with it the local hospitality sector would benefit from an easing of restrictions.

“It means we are going to lose out on the evening trade for another week. However, because it it the school holidays a number of our regulars who would have been coming in for evening meals made a change and came in for lunch.

“So we still got some of that trade, but obviously it is not possible for everybody to do that.”