Non-essential travel within your local areas returns in April, and here’s a quick clarifier on the rules.
Scotland’s roadmap out of lockdown has provided plenty of hope for a return to normality in the coming months, and a significant step arrives on Friday, April 2 with the ‘stay at home’ rule lifted and being replaced by a requirement to stay local. Though we’ve been permitted to meet up with one person from outside our household in a social setting since March 12, from Friday we’ll be allowed to meet up with others slightly further away within our local authority area and so long as these meetings take place outdoors. At last!
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The lifting of these restrictions form one of the early steps of the Scottish government’s roadmap out of lockdown, and allow us to reunite with friends and family by travelling in our local area ahead of the Easter bank holiday. These two-household gatherings can take place in public parks and outdoor spaces, or in private gardens, but we’re still being told not to meet up indoors (that will follow later on, and no earlier than May 17) and to stay local.
We’ll be able to go a little further afield to reunite with others, but not beyond our local authority area, as the requirement to stay at home is dropped. However, this does not mean the end of lockdown restrictions; we’re still being asked to stay local whenever possible, and overnight stays will not resume until April 26 (for holiday lets by individuals or one household) and May 17 (for multiple households/groups, and for stays at hotels, hostels, and any other places with shared indoor facilities). International travel is still forbidden for non-essential purposes, and this will last until later on in the year.
The outdoor socialising rule isn’t the only one being eased in early April, as outdoor sport for young people is also permitted to resume on April 5. Also on this date, hairdressers and nail salons will be able to reopen so we can finally get that long overdue haircut and manicure. Precautions including face masks and PPE are likely to be in effect. Plus, the list of essential retailers who are allowed to be open will be expanded slightly, which includes garden centres and homeware stores, and click-and-collect services for non-essential retail will resume.
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Getting these freedoms back is, to be sure, a wonderful thing – but it’s important to remember that with almost half the population vaccinated, there’s still a burden on all of us to follow restrictions and keep driving the infection rate down. And then, it’s onto an unforgettable summer!
You can find the Scottish Government’s Strategic Framework here.