On Boxing Day, the whole of mainland Scotland will be placed into the Level 4 restrictions – the highest of the five tiers – for at least three weeks.
Non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants will have to shut except for takeaways, drive-throughs and deliveries while only essential travel will be allowed.
Only the Scottish islands – Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles – will be placed in Level 3, with the rest of mainland Scotland under the strictest review.
What time on Boxing Day does Level 4 start?
From 00:01 on 26 December, all of mainland Scotland will be in level four and subject to the strictest travel restrictions.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: What are the new Covid Christmas rules in Scotland?
When will Level 4 rules be reviewed?
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that Level 4 will be reviewed after two weeks, Ms Sturgeon has said.
Professor Jason Leitch has warned a March-style lockdown rather than the restrictions used in November may be needed to suppress the new strain of coronavirus, Scotland’s national clinical director has said. Prof Leitch said: “If it got to a point where we needed more and if the R number increases by even 0.4, which is the lower end of the suggestion from Nervtag, that means – in old money – you have to get to an R number of 0.5.
“And this new variant would take you to 0.9 compared to the old variant.
“That is really, really difficult. So that would mean everybody working from home who possibly could.
“It would be back to March rather than November.”
Will there be police patrols?
Police Scotland will double its presence along the border with England after the First Minister announced tighter coronavirus restrictions.
Chief Constable lain Livingstone said “highly visible patrols” on roads will be used to “deter anyone who night be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions”.
He added it would not be “appropriate or proportionate for officers to establish checkpoints or roadblocks to simply enforce travel restrictions”.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: Christmas travel ban police patrols
“These highly visible patrols will be proactively deployed on our road networks to continue our operational activity to ensure drivers and vehicles are in a fit condition to drive.
“The patrols will also deter anyone who might be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions.”
READ MORE: Coronavirus: 'Don't chance travel ban' as police patrols ramped up
Are schools affected?
Under current plans, the Christmas holiday is now being extended until January 11 for the majority of pupils, although schools will still reopen as scheduled for the most vulnerable and children of key workers.
But teaching will be done online for at least the first week of the new term, Ms Sturgeon has announced.
She said: “After that – assuming we are confident we have the virus under control – we will aim to reopen schools fully.
“But at least until the 18 January, schools will go online only other than for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable.”
READ MORE: When will children go back to school in Scotland after the Christmas break?
Why has this been introduced?
The move comes after scientists on the Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NervTag) concluded that the mutant strain identified by Public Health England – known as VUI2020/01 – was spreading more quickly.
Ms Sturgeon said it may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant.
What will happen if people break the rules?
Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said enforcement of the travel restrictions would continue to be a “last resort where there is a clear breach of the legislation”.
He said the force would not be setting up road blocks or carrying out spot checks but added: “Where travel restrictions apply, officers will continue to use the common sense, discretion and excellent judgment that they have applied since the crisis began.”
Current restrictions mean it is illegal to travel into or out of council areas in Level 3 or Level 4 without a valid exemption.
Police have the power to issue £60 fines to rule-breakers, although these are halved to £30 if paid within 28 days.
What is happening in the rest of the UK?
More than 40% of England’s population will be in lockdown from Boxing Day after a further six million people were placed under Tier 4 restrictions.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant coronavirus was spreading at a “dangerous rate” as he announced the measures, which include tough restrictions on mixing with people and the closure of non-essential shops.
He also said cases of another new mutant coronavirus linked to South Africa have been found in the UK and placed travel restrictions on the country.
In Wales, the country will be placed under lockdown from midnight.
In Northern Ireland, no changes have been made to Christmas restrictions, with three households allowed to meet from 23 to 27 December.
Boxing Day Lockdown? What does Tier 4 mean in Scotland?
Below are the key points on Tier 4 at the time of writing this article.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: Scottish mainland to move to Level 4 restrictions from 26 December
Socialising
No in-home socialising
6/2 outdoors and in public places i.e. max 6 people from 2 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 6 at a time outdoors and are not subject to the 2 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 6 at a time outdoors and are not subject to the 2 household limit. Physical distancing is required.
Minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
Stay at least 2 metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating 1 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
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, on-line services and outdoor retail, such as garden centres, outdoor markets and car lots, can also remain open.
Close contact services (e.g. hairdressers, barbers, tailors and beauticians)
Closed
Mobile close contact services not permitted
Public buildings – e.g. libraries
Closed
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 15 people
Funerals and wakes – 20 person limit
No receptions
Early learning and childcare (ELC)(formal childcare)
Early learning and childcare can remain open. Enhanced and targeted protective measures are in place.
Informal childcare
Informal childcare is only permitted for essential workers.
You should follow the rules for socialising.
Only children should enter the home of another household.
Schools
Open, with enhanced and targeted protective measures
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
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.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel