Question reference: S5W-31650
- Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 7 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason COVID-19 restrictions in Glasgow do not extend to the hospitality sector.
Answer
There is no one clear driver to the outbreak in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Instead there are some significant factors that were found to be common to many of the cases.
It is important that local interventions are targeted to the nature and extent of the public health risk with due regard to the four harms set out in our COVID-19 framework for decision making. Any restrictions need to be proportionate, necessary and driven by the evidence. Restrictions are kept under constant review to ensure than they are not in place any longer than is absolutely necessary
At present, meeting people indoors in hospitality settings is still allowed, but should only be carried out in line with existing guidance for customers of the hospitality sector - https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-consumers/pages/tourism-and-hospitality/ . This includes the requirement, from 10 September, for customers within hospitality settings to wear a face covering in the queue and inside premises, except when eating and drinking.
The number of households who can come together in any social setting – indoors or outdoors – has been reduced from 3 to 2 with the maximum number of people in any gathering reduced to 6.
We all need to abide by public health guidance and FACTS helps us remember the key measures we need to comply with.