Sturgeon warns Covid passport system may be extended before Christmas
Nicola Sturgeon warns she could extend Scotland’s Covid vaccine passport system to the country’s pubs, cinemas and theatres from December 6 – just weeks before busy Christmas period for hospitality industry
- SNP Government examining whether to tighten restrictions from December 6
- The First Minister told Holyrood that final decision will be made next week
- Business leaders say firms are opposed to further coronavirus restrictions
- Hospitality bodies say extension would have a ‘devastating impact’ on firms
Scotland’s Covid passport scheme could be extended to cover pubs, cinemas and theatres just weeks before Christmas, Nicola Sturgeon admitted today.
The First Minister told Holyrood that her administration will decide next week whether restrictions currently in force should be tightened from December 6.
The Scottish passport system, introduced in October, currently applies to nightclubs, adult entertainment venues and various mass attendance events indoors and outdoors.
Business leaders in Scotland have claimed firms are opposed to further coronavirus restrictions.
Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of companies surveyed for Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) were against increased use of vaccine passports, more home working and greater use of face coverings.
Hospitality bodies also opposed the move, saying that any extension of the vaccine passport scheme would have a ‘devastating impact’.
And Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: ‘The public were expecting clear decisions but instead we’re being told once more to tune in next week. The government has delayed again and created avoidable uncertainty.
‘Nicola Sturgeon is once again leaving workers and businesses in the dark. They might have less than two weeks to adapt to changes to the vaccine passport scheme at one of the busiest times of the year for the hospitality industry.’
The First Minister told Holyrood that her administration will decide next week whether restrictions currently in force should be tightened from December 6.
The Scottish passport system, introduced in October, currently applies to nightclubs, adult entertainment venues and various mass attendance events indoors and outdoors.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs: ‘I am acutely aware that many businesses want us to remove mitigations – including certification – not extend or tighten them.
‘I understand that. But all of our decisions are and must be motivated by a desire to keep people safe but also to get through what will be a challenging winter without having to re-introduce any restrictions on trade.
‘We want if possible businesses to stay fully open over Christmas and through the winter, while also keeping Covid under control.
‘If an expansion of Covid certification can help us do that, it would be irresponsible not to consider it.’
The First Minister told MSPs her government will also consider introducing the option to provide a negative Covid-19 test result to enter venues instead of the passport.
She said: ‘Again let me stress that we have not at this stage taken a decision to extend the reach of the scheme.
‘However, to allow us to engage openly with businesses in the coming days about the pros, cons and practicalities, I can confirm that the kinds of settings that might be in scope would be indoor cinemas, theatres, and some other licensed and hospitality premises.’
She added: ‘While we hope very much to get through winter without re-introducing any further restrictions, as some other countries are now starting to do, we do have a duty to keep proportionate options under review and we will do so.’
The First Minister also told the Scottish Parliament that she was asking employers to look again at supporting more employees to work from home.
And she said there is no sign so far that the Cop26 conference in Glasgow contributed to a rise in cases of Covid-19.
A survey of more than 150 business owners and operators in Scotland found a majority of businesses said turnover was down by more than 10 per cent when compared with pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
People attending large events in Scotland have to prove their vaccine status, and the poll on behalf of five hospitality bodies found that if the policy was to expand further, 76.2 per cent of businesses would not survive the winter without further Government support, and 95.4 per cent would be forced to cut staff hours if trade reduced as expected.
‘From this survey it is clear to see that Scotland’s hospitality sector is in a precarious situation, making the recovery period all the more important. Four out of five (83.6 per cent) businesses are significantly below pre-pandemic levels and with inflation, debt levels and other costs rising, the sector is facing a very difficult winter ahead,’ a joint statement said on Monday on behalf of UKHospitality Scotland, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, the Scottish Hospitality Group, and the Night Time Industries Association.
Last Thursday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish Government was considering extending its certification scheme to further parts of the hospitality and leisure sector, but in polling for the five organisations, fewer than 1 per cent of businesses already hit by the current policy said trade had been unaffected.
Source: Read Full Article