Coronavirus in Scotland: Edinburgh residents react after Nicola Sturgeon closes all Lothian pubs for two weeks

The Scottish Government’s recent rule on pub closures in Edinburgh and the Lothians has sparked a mixed reaction among our readers.

While some agree with the new stringent rules on the hospitality sector, others shared their concerns for those working in the industry and said the latest measures were “appalling” and “lacked strategy.”

Teacher Teresa Cerilla said she finds the new restrictions, which forced all pubs and bars in Scotland’s Central Belt to close for two weeks, “ridiculous” given schools are still welcoming crowds of pupils.

A pub staff member wearing a mask in Edinburgh. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

She said: “And schools are still open with 30 students per class, with no social distancing and with no masks. These measures are ridiculous.”

Others shared their concern for hospitality workers saying they hope staff will receive the support they need while businesses are temporarily shut down.

Reader John Campbell said: “I hope the government are going to pay those workers who now can't work for this period of time.”

John Brooks said “thousands" are now at risk of losing their jobs as businesses will struggle to keep afloat after having to close for two weeks.

One Twitter user shared her frustration with the latest guidelines saying: “This is Appalling. Repeating a strategy that didn’t work and hoping for different results at the expense of people’s jobs.”

Owner of Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange, Paul Demarco, said the new restrictions are a kick in the teeth for the hospitality industry.

He said: “The last six months have been pretty hellish and I was expecting things to get worse before they got better.

"I'm not surprised, not surprised at all.There will be no football, there will be no tenpin bowling, no American pool at the pool hall. No new miniature golf which we'd planned to open next week.

"It's just made things even worse than they already are, and I didn't know how they could get any worse.”

Another reader said: “There is no strategy behind this. What is the objective and what will happen once we release these measures. We are likely to end up back in the same place a few weeks further on. The economy can’t survive on this basis.”

Yet some readers argued the latest figures, which saw more than 1,000 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, reflect the need to impose further restrictions.

Scottish resident Ruth Henderson said: “I've got a father in a care home who I've got to see through a perspex screen, I've got a business being crippled by restrictions and just like everybody I'm simply fed up.

“But what is the option? I think there is no option but to trial various restrictions.”

‘Excellent response’

Laura Cowie praised the new measures saying: “Excellent response. And I would like more information on mandatory face coverings in work settings, canteens, corridors etc.”

Reader Fiona Dick said Nicola Sturgeon is simply following similar guidelines imposed by other countries in Europe which are experiencing similar surges in cases.

New measures in place

Because of high levels of infections in the Central Belt, greater restrictions will also be in place in Greater Glasgow and the Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothians and Forth Valley.

The Central Belt will see all licensed premises required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm on Friday – although takeaways will be permitted.

Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close for two weeks from Friday in the Central Belt.

Contact sports for age 18 and over will also be suspended for the next two weeks.

Outdoor live events will not be permitted in the Central Belt during this two-week period.

All indoor hospitality elsewhere in Scotland will be closed between 6pm and 6am, with exceptions for serving meals in hotels.

Hospitality venues may open between 6am and 6pm outside of the Central Belt, provided no alcohol is served.

Hotel restaurants will be able to operate beyond 6pm, but only for residents and alcohol will again be banned.

Bars outside the Central Belt will be able to continue trading until the current 10pm curfew outdoors.

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs today that the ban on entering other households should make a difference, but she has been advised this is not enough to stem rising case numbers.

But she added: “We need to do more and we need to do it now.

“And to those who may wonder if the measures I set out today go too far, let me be clear about this.

“If this was a purely one-dimensional decision – if the immediate harm from Covid was all we had to consider – it is quite likely that we would go

further.

“But, 7 months into this pandemic, I am acutely aware that this is not and cannot be a one-dimensional decision. We have a duty to balance all of the different harms caused by the pandemic.”

The First Minister said that £40 million will be made available to support bars and pub owners affected by these measures over the next two weeks.

The new lockdown restrictions come as 1,054 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed across Scotland – 13 per cent of the people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 34,760.

A total of 319 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed Covid-19, which is an increase of 57 since yesterday. And 28 people are in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, which is an increase of 3 since yesterday.

One new death has been registered the last 24 hours which brings the country’s death toll to 2,533.

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