The First Minister announced tonight that "firm preventative action" was needed after the emergence of a faster-spreading strain of Covid-19.

The rules around Christmas bubbles will change too, with now only one day of mixing being allowed for eight people from three households.

Nicola Sturgeon also announced a "strict travel ban" between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

What did Nicola Sturgeon say?

Nicola Sturgeon said that the announcement made her "want to cry" because how "harsh" and how "unfair this sounds" but that the "virus is unfair" and it doesn't stop for Christmas.

The First Minister said that exceptions will be for Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other island communities where restrictions have been reduced in recent weeks, which will enter Level 3.

These restrictions will be reviewed after two weeks.

New plan for school holidays:

Christmas holidays for most Scottish pupils have been extended to January 11 and the majority will begin the new term studying from home, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The First Minister said schools will reopen as currently scheduled for some pupils, such as children of key workers.

But for most pupils, the new school term will begin on January 11, with online learning until “at least” January 18.

The current Covid-19 hotspots

Covid-19 Protection Level: 4

Socialising 

• No in-home socialising
• 6/2 outdoors and in public places i.e. max six people from two households
• Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering.
• Young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet up in groups of up to six at a time outdoors and are not subject to the two household limit. Physical distancing is required.

​​When you meet people from another household indoors you should:

Young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet up in groups of up to six at a time outdoors and are not subject to the two household limit. Physical distancing is required.

• Minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
• Stay at least two metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating one metre distancing with additional measures being in place to avoid transmission.
• Maintain hand and cough hygiene
• Avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
• Wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
• Not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
• If possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door

Hospitality (food and drink)

Hospitality (alcohol on sale outdoors)

• Closed

Hospitality (alcohol on sale indoors)

• Closed

Hospitality (food for consumption on premises)

• Closed
• Hotels and other accommodation providers can still serve food to qualifying guests i.e. key or exempt workers, staying in their premises up to 22:00. Room service, including alcohol, is allowed as normal.

Takeaways

• Takeaways permitted for alcohol and food as per existing arrangements

Accommodation (hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, caravan and camp sites)

• All holiday accommodation is closed to tourism.  Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering can remain open for essential customers only.

Travel 

• No non-essential travel into or out of the level 4 area. If necessary, limits on travel distance, or a requirement to stay at home
• Exemptions for essential travel for work, education, shopping health etc; outdoor exercise; weddings and funerals; and transit through restricted areas
• International quarantine regulations apply

Transport

• Active travel (walk, run, cycle, wheel) where possible
• Avoid car sharing with people outside extended household wherever possible
• No use of public transport, except for essential purposes.
• Face coverings compulsory

Shopping

• Only essential retail
• Click and collect and online services can also remain open.

Visiting hospitals

Essential Visits only (End of Life, birth partners, children, patients with mental health issues including dementia, learning disabilities, autism).

Visiting care homes

Visiting a loved one in care homes is classed as essential travel – exempt from travel restrictions

Indoors: essential visits only.  

Outdoors: visits to the care home to see loved ones via garden or window visits, arranged with care home in advance. As a result of the additional risk posed by the new variant, garden visits should now be limited to one visitor and visits by children and young people should be suspended.

Close contact services (e.g. hairdressers, barbers, tailors and beauticians)

• Closed
• Mobile close contact services not permitted

Public buildings – e.g. libraries

• Closed however library click and collect services may still operate in Level 4
• Community centres can continue to operate for the delivery of essential services only, such as emergency shelter, medical services or meals for the homeless.

Stadia and events

• Stadia must be closed to spectators.
• No live events are permitted

Worship

• Open with restricted numbers (20 people)

Life events (weddings, and civil partnerships, funerals) ceremonies and receptions/wakes

• Weddings/civil partnerships – maximum of 20 people
• Funerals and wakes – 20 person limit
• Other life events, such as Bar Mitzvahs and christenings can still take place as long as they are part of an act of worship and a maximum of 20 capacity is applied.
• No receptions
• Face coverings must be worn except for the couple getting married or entering a civil partnership and the person leading the ceremony during a wedding ceremony or civil partnership. 

Early learning and childcare (ELC)(formal childcare)

• From 26 December to 18 January, regulated early learning and childcare and school age childcare services can only open to children of key workers and vulnerable children.

Informal childcare

• Only essential informal childcare is permitted in Level 4.
• Only children should enter the home of another household. 

Schools

• From 5 January to 15 January, schools can only open to in-person learning for children of key workers and vulnerable children, with remote learning for all other children and young people from 11 January to 15 January.

Universities and Colleges

• Colleges and universities can operate using a more restricted mix of face to face and distance learning.

Driving lessons

• Not permitted

Sports and exercise

• You are permitted to meet others outdoors, following the rules around meeting other households, for informal exercise or sport.
• Indoor sports facilities are closed.
• Outdoor gyms can remain open.
• Outdoor non-contact sports are permitted for all age groups.

Leisure and entertainment

• Closed

Visitor attractions

• All indoor visitor attractions such as museums, galleries, heritage attractions, indoor areas of zoos and aquariums are closed
• Outdoor visitor attractions, such as parks, gardens and the outdoor areas of zoos may remain open, to enable exercise and recreation to be undertaken with appropriate physical distancing in place, but should only be visited in line with travel restrictions.
• Visitor attraction’s retail and hospitality facilities will be closed.

Public services (health following NHS remobilisation plan)

• Essential face-to-face services only (online where possible)

Unregulated children's activities (incl. youth clubs, children's groups)

• No activities are permitted with the exception of youth work where it is delivered as part of the school day/curriculum.

Support services (mental health, counselling, day services, respite care)

• Essential only/online where possible

Offices, call centres and other workplaces

• Essential only/working from home
• Businesses which provide essential services can continue to operate, such as those in the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sector, courts and tribunals

Tradespeople, home repairs and working in someone else's home

• Tradespeople should only go into a house in a level 4 area to carry out or deliver essential work or services, for example:
• To carry out utility (electricity, gas, water, telephone, broadband) safety checks, repairs, maintenance and installations
• To carry out repairs and maintenance that would otherwise threaten the household’s health and safety
• To deliver goods or shopping
• To deliver, install or repair key household furniture and appliances such as washing machines, fridges and cookers
• To support a home move, for example, furniture removal

Shielding

This is advice, consider which level of protection is right for you.

All levels: We will not ask you to distance from people within your own homes or to stop taking outdoor exercise.

Level 4 shielding

• Minimise: Contact with people outside your own household if you can. You should not take public transport.
• Shopping: Strictly follow the guidelines when shopping and limiting the number of times you go to a shop. Shop at quieter times.
• If you cannot work from home: 

  The majority of workplaces can be made safe. If you have any concerns you should discuss these with your employer.

  However, at this level the Chief Medical Officer will issue a letter which is similar to a fit note and which will last for as long as your area is under Level 4 restrictions. This letter can be used in the few cases where it is not possible to make your workplace safe.

  Please note that this does not automatically mean you should not attend work. You should discuss this further with your employer, and if this results in adequate protection, you can continue to work.

• School/formal childcare: Children on the shielding list should not attend in person.