First Minster announces further lockdown restrictions

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced new restrictions targetting click and collect services as well as takeaway food and outdoor drinking after Scotland recorded the highest weekly death rate from Covid since May.

The new regulation will come into force on Saturday. This will include for, example, clothes and footwear, baby equipment, homeware and books - all other clicking collect services must stop.

For those allowed to continue, the First Minister said "staggered appointments" will be needed to end queuing, as well as not allowing people inside premises. Any outlet wishing to offer takeaway will have to do so from a serving hatch or doorway.

"However, from Saturday, it will be against the law in all level 4 areas to drink alcohol outdoors in public".

"This is to reduce the risk of customers coming into contact indoors with each other or with staff".

The First Minister has outlined six changes to the rules.

Keen to ensure Scots can remain at home, the Scottish government is also strengthening the laws requiring employers to allow staff to work remotely.

"We intend to strengthen the obligation on employers to make staff work from home - we will introduce statutory guidance for employers - if they worked from home previous year they should be now".

First Minster announces further lockdown restrictions

"We are also to close a loop-hole in leaving homes for essential purposes to make it so that non-essential can not be done while out of the house".

Speaking in Holyrood today, she added: "Don't think in terms of the maximum interactions you can have without breaking the rules".

"In everything you do, assume that the virus is there with you - that either you have it or any person you are in contact with has it - and act in a way that prevents it passing between you".

Nicola Sturgeon also confirmed 79 more coronavirus related deaths were registered in the past 24 hours along with 1,949 new cases. "Again, I know this is not a popular move but it is meant to underline and support the fact that we should only be leaving home right now for essential purposes".

Separately, guidance previously issued to only allow essential work to be undertaken inside people's homes will be placed into law.

Work in people's houses will now need to be essential, with anything in a private dwelling that isn't "essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household" not being permitted.

Giving a further update on the daily coronavirus statistics, she said a total of 155,372 people have tested positive in Scotland since the start of the pandemic.

Of these patients, 134 are in intensive care, a rise of one in the same period.