While Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he “can’t rule out” the need for tougher measures in England, leaders of the devolved UK nations have taken swifter action and imposed stricter rules to control the lightning spread of the Omicron variant. Many new restrictions came into force on Boxing Day as the coronavirus pandemic impacts yet another festive season.
The rules in Scotland
New rules came into force on December 26. The full set of restrictions in Scotland is now:
- Limits on the size of live public events for three weeks: Indoors – 100 standing or 200 seated / Outdoors – 500 seated or standing.
- Football matches will be spectator-free, and non-professional indoor contact sports will stop. Life events like weddings are not included.
- Nightclubs will close for three weeks from December 27.
- People must limit social contact to two other households.
- Pubs, bars and other hospitality venues will return to table service only. One-metre social distancing is advised in these settings, with no more than three households in each group.
- Shops and businesses must take measures to limit the spread of Covid, such as screens in shops and crowd control in bars.
- Care home residents can only have visitors from two households who will need to be tested, and care home staff are asked to test themselves every day.
- Employers will have a legal duty to let staff work from home – anyone who cannot work from home is advised to take twice-weekly LFTs.
- People must isolate for 10 days – regardless of vaccination status or a negative test – if anyone in their household tests positive for Covid.
- People must isolate if they’ve been in close contact with someone from another household who’s tested positive, and take a PCR test (if it’s negative and they are double-vaccinated, they can end isolation).
- Social distancing rules of 2m remain in places like hospitals, GP surgeries and dentists.
- Face coverings compulsory on public transport and most indoor spaces.
- All school staff and secondary pupils to wear face coverings indoors.
- All over-18s are required to prove their vaccine status or show a negative test at many venues.
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