THE Pavillion Theatre in Glasgow has hit out at the Scottish Government, accusing it of "giving with one hand and tightening the grip with the other".

After the First Minister announced that Scotland will move "beyond level zero" restrictions in a move to return Scotland to normality, the Pavilion Theatre took to social media to express their concerns.

The reaction post said that it was good to hear that they can re-open but said the First Minister also "put a dampener" on the announcement.

On Twitter the statement read: “It was good to hear that on one hand we can re-open without any social distancing restrictions from Monday, and it has been a long time coming.

“However, it was disappointing to hear that the Scottish Government have decided it should be with face coverings at all times and the First Minister decided to put a dampener on this by saying ‘if you are going into a crowded place, you should maintain social distancing’, and the worst blow was ‘you should avoid crowded places.’

 

“Either there is social distancing or there is not, what is the point of re-opening crowded places if the powers that be continuously warn people against going to these.”

In the open letter signed by Iain Gordon, he called for the Scottish Government to lay out "precise decisions and clear guidance" to allow the theatre industry to move forward without the fear of financial risks.

In the First Minister's announcment yesterday she stated that although physical distancing is not a legal mandate, people should continue to exercise caution.

Face coverings will also be required in most indoor settings. 

She said: "Even though the law will not stipulate physical distancing from Monday, we will continue to advise the public that - especially indoors - keeping a safe distance from people in other households and avoiding crowded places will minimise risk. 

"Remember that keeping some distance from people in other households and avoiding crowded indoor places - even if no longer legally mandated – these are still sensible precautions."