Homeware stores and garden centres to close in level 4
Home stores and garden centres will close in all level 4 areas from Boxing Day with the exception of click and collect.
Members of the public within level 4 are also being urged to stay close to home where possible to help stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID19).
The stricter definition of essential retailers and new stay at home message have been introduced to help tackle the new variant of the virus which can spread far more quickly and easily.
The changes were announced during a statement to Parliament by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
She said: “Given the severity of the situation we face and the need to limit interactions as much as possible, we intend to define essential retail more narrowly than we have done recently.
“In short, that means homeware stores and garden centres will be classed as non-essential and will therefore require to close, with the exception of click and collect.
“Financial support will remain available for businesses affected and the Finance Secretary is urgently assessing what more the Scottish Government can do, particularly for the sectors most affected.
“For those living in level 4 areas – which from Saturday will be the vast majority of us – our strong advice is to stay as local as possible and to stay at home as much as possible.
“We will be considering in the days ahead whether we need to place that advice in law.
“As more evidence of the impact of this new strain becomes available, we will consider whether there is a need to strengthen level 4 restrictions any further.”
The decision has been condemned by the Scottish Retail Consortium.
Garden centres were permitted to reopen at the end of May, the first sub-sector of retail to be allowed to re-open following the introduction of the national lockdown in late March and SRC has consistently explained that shops have taken every mitigation possible to keep customers and staff as safe as possible.
Recent papers from public health advisers SAGE and their Welsh counterparts, the Technical Advisory Group, have explained the closure of shops would only have a “very minimal impact” on R values and reducing transmission of the virus.
SRC director David Lonsdale said: “We recognise the situation with the pandemic is fast moving and are behind efforts to get on top of the virus, however this is yet further disappointing and dispiriting news for Scotland’s retail industry.
“We fully appreciate this announcement is about government wanting people to stay home, however it is frustrating when the evidence suggests closing shops has a minimal impact on the spread of the virus and after retailers have demonstrated they can operate safely in the current environment, and invested significantly to make stores Covid-secure for customers and staff.
"It's doubly frustrating to learn of further chopping and changing to the Covid framework, and at painfully short notice, when retailers have spent months pleading for greater visibility over potential next steps and a more consistent approach.”
