Today, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced the next stage of Scotland’s route out of lockdown with a series of changes to the coronavirus guidance.
Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “This is another welcome step along the road to freeing us from lockdown and getting the country back to business. There’s a real need, if we’re to stem the tide of rising job losses and avoid long-term damage, to get as much of the economy up and running as quickly and safely as possible.
“There is a lot in this announcement and it is complicated – particularly around the two-metre rule. So, it will be crucial that the businesses who will be in charge of implementing the new rules are given clear guidance on the rules and their practical application.
“That’s especially the case with mandatory face coverings in shops. That will be a big change for small retailers and it would have been easier to prepare if this was flagged ahead of them re-opening on Monday. Now there’s very limited time to implement this and understandable concern about creating tensions with customers.”
ENDS
Media contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0141 2210775