Ruth Maguire MSP has urged local hospitality premises to adhere to the Scottish Government’s new rules before they come into law.
From Friday (14 August) it will be mandatory for premises to record customer details in line with NHS Test and Protect guidelines.
Ahead of the change in rules, the Scottish Government have noted that tables should be pre-booked where possible with no queueing. Background music should not be played and televisions should be muted to limit the need for customers to lean into each other or shout. Additionally, no more than three households at a time should be meeting in a group.
Further to this, the range of places where the wearing of face coverings has been made mandatory has been extended to include certain indoor public places such as cinemas, galleries, museums and banks.
The SNP MSP said: “The infection cluster in Aberdeen which has resulted in a local lockdown is a stark reminder that the virus can quickly spread within communities and that we all need to stick to the guidelines put in place to keep us all safe.
“We cannot risk the progress being made to fight the virus become undone in North Ayrshire and I’m sure residents will agree that we want to avoid a local lockdown here.
“I urge all local hospitality businesses in North Ayrshire to enforce the Test and Protect guidelines, including the collecting of customer details before the change in rules comes into effect to ensure that any infection routes are identified quickly.
“It’s clear that we’ll need to adjust our behaviour for an extended period of time in order to prevent further spread of the virus and save lives.”
Face shields may be used but only if they are worn in addition to a face covering. While exemptions to face coverings will apply, the new settings face coverings must now be worn in will include:
- any premises open to members of the public and used for the retail sale or hire of goods or services. This now includes: shops; takeaway restaurants; estate agents; and beauty parlours. This does not extend to hospitality premises such as sit-in cafes and restaurants
- aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms, and any other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural site
- banks, building societies and credit unions
- cinemas
- community centres
- crematoriums and funeral directors premises
- libraries and public reading rooms
- museums and galleries
- places of worship
- post offices
- storage and distribution facilities, including collection and drop off points
Ruth Maguire MSP 