Covid lockdown in Scotland: Despite lifting of most restrictions, we must still take care – Steve Cardownie

The lifting of most Covid restrictions on Monday was met with a collective sigh of relief, particularly from those in the bar trade.

Ordering and then sitting at the bar is now permitted and there will be more than a few bar flies all too ready to take up their pre-pandemic positions accordingly.

It's a bit more confusing when it comes to nightclubs where patrons are expected to wear masks when moving about the premises such as going to the toilet but can remove them when dancing.

It has already been suggested that dancing on the way to the toilet may be a tactic that could be deployed although this could easily be mis-interpreted by onlookers who might be forgiven for thinking that going to the loo was a cause for celebration.

Like many, I have become accustomed to being served my drink at the table, as is common place on the continent and will have to re-acquaint myself with standing at the bar trying to catch the eye of bar staff to order my refreshment and then make my way back to my table, drinks in hand, trying my best not to spill them on the way.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, admitted to “having butterflies in my stomach” when she signalled the relaxation of some of the restrictions.

“This has been a long, hard year-and-a-half, but we’ve got to continue to exercise care and caution – this virus is unpredictable and we underestimate it at our peril,” she added.

Nicola Sturgeon wears a face mask in the Scottish Parliament (Picture: Andy Buchanan/PA)

Quite so! Continue to take care!

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.