Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has hit out at the latest restrictions put in place across Scotland.
The Labour leader took to social media writing: "No consultation. Crucial guidance published just six hours before restrictions kicked in. Hospitality giants announcing huge lay-offs. Bar-owners taking direct action in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
"The SNP has treated Scotland's hospitality sector appallingly this week."
No consultation. Crucial guidance published just six hours before restrictions kicked in. Hospitality giants announcing huge lay-offs. Bar-owners taking direct action in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
— Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) October 10, 2020
The SNP has treated Scotland's hospitality sector appallingly this week.
Until October 25 pubs, bars and restaurants will be closed in five health board areas – Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley, Lothian and Ayrshire and Arran – affecting more than three million people.
READ MORE: Scotland lockdown: Bartenders protest pub closures by dumping ice in Glasgow, Edinburgh & Aberdeen
These venues can offer a takeaway service, and cafes within the central belt are allowed to stay open during the day, but cannot serve alcohol.
Elsewhere in the country, hospitality venues can open inside from 6am to 6pm to sell soft drinks and food and can serve alcohol outside only until 10pm.
From Friday 9 October, new temporary measures to reduce the spread of #coronavirus will be in place in Scotland.
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) October 9, 2020
Watch this video to find out what they are ⬇️
Make sure you understand how the rules affect you ➡️ https://t.co/Fd37ihO7QF#WeAreScotland pic.twitter.com/7pC7hzHlXx
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the action was necessary to avoid more fatalities after a further six coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, adding the decision was “horrendously difficult” to make.
The First Minister addressed confusion over the new coronavirus restrictions placed on hospitality.
Some have questioned what constitutes a cafe, which are allowed to remain open to counter social isolation.
Cafes licensed to sell alcohol have also been allowed to open if they curtail those sales.
Speaking about the “lack of clarity”, the First Minister said: “Sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible.
“It would have been much easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close, but we decided to try to strike a different balance.”
The First Minister added: “Government, all governments, are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.
“Speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can and as I’ve said all along, we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.”
The Scottish Government said it will make an additional £40 million available for affected businesses. Details of the £40 million fund to support businesses in Scotland hit by new restrictions have been delayed by the Scottish Government.
Three strands will make up the Scottish Government support, the First Minister said. The first will be support for employment, which was supposed to “top up” the current furlough scheme.
The second would provide a cash grant for businesses impacted by closures or reduction in business, similar to what was seen in Aberdeen during the local outbreak where grants of £1,000 or £1,500 depending on rateable value were made available.
The third part of the support is a discretionary fund being made available to local authorities to support businesses not already covered by funding.
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