First Minister confirms further lockdown easing from Monday

Significant easing of restrictions across retail, hospitality and travel

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced details of the further relaxation of restrictions across Scotland.

From Monday 26 April, hospitality venues such as cafés, pubs and restaurants can reopen, along with tourist accommodation. Non-essential retail outlets and close contact services such as beauty salons can also reopen, in addition to indoor attractions and public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries.

The First Minister confirmed that all parts of the country will move to Level 3 from Monday 26 April. The remaining travel restrictions within Scotland will be lifted and travel within the UK will be permitted for any purpose. If everyone continues to follow the rules, the First Minister said it is expected that all of Scotland will move to Level 2 on Monday 17 May.

Further changes from 26 April include:

• adults on the shielding list can return to the workplace, if they cannot work from home, while children who have been shielding can return to school
• non-essential work inside people’s homes – such as painting, decorating or repairing – will be permitted, subject to mitigations
• non-essential informal childcare will resume
• driving lessons and tests can take place, while gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise
• the attendance limit for funerals and weddings – and related events such as receptions – will increase to 50
• cafés, pubs and restaurants can resume full outdoor service, subject to local licensing, and serve food indoors without alcohol until 8pm
• takeaways to resume normal service, with physical distancing and face masks in premises

The First Minister also announced that rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) tests will be made available to anyone in Scotland and to those planning travel to the islands.

From today, anyone planning travel to the islands next week can order a free home test kit online. The first test should be taken three days before travel and the second on the day of departure.

From Monday, lateral flow home test kits will be available to anyone in the wider population who does not have COVID-19 symptoms. They can be picked up from local walk/drive-through test sites for people to test themselves twice-weekly. Anyone in Scotland who develops COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and book a PCR test.

The expansion is aimed at finding cases that would otherwise go undetected, so those people can self-isolate and avoid transmitting the virus to those around them.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The changes that come into force next week have been hard earned by all of us. I know that many will be looking forward – quite rightly – to their first drink in a beer garden, to catching up with a friend in a café, or to going on holiday somewhere in Scotland.

“But even as we enjoy those moments, we still need to be careful. We must remember the virus is more infectious now than it was when bars and cafés were last open, so we must still stick to the rules. However, we are hopeful of seeing sustained progress in the weeks and months ahead.

“We are keeping island communities in Level 3 at the moment, so that we can allow travel between those communities and the rest of Scotland. If you are planning to travel to an island and do not have COVID-19 symptoms, we will encourage you to take two lateral flow tests for COVID-19 before you depart.

“This is an important way to reduce the risk of bringing COVID-19 into island communities. If you are travelling to an island next week, it is possible to get tests from today, and I would encourage you to do that.”

Light at the end of the tunnel as Edinburgh Leisure venues able to reopen

Edinburgh Leisure’s Chief Executive, June Peebles, has welcomed the First Minister’s latest announcement, which means their leisure centres can reopen again, after almost a four months’ closure.

As a charity responsible for running over 50 sports and leisure facilities across the Scottish capital and their Active Communities programme, which uses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity, June Peebles is “looking forward to welcoming customers back and continuing to help local people enjoy active and healthy lives.  Never before has health and wellbeing been so important.”

During lockdown, Edinburgh Leisure has continued to motivate their customers to keep active through their ‘Find Your Feel Good’ online hub, which has provided a range of home workout videos, as well as coaching activities and resources to support their customers to stay active and well.

Since November 2020 and during the closure, Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme has continued to work with around 450 customers per week through a blend of on-line classes and one to one sessions and ‘wellbeing’ phone calls  to keep more ‘vulnerable’ customers active and well at home, safely.

Outdoor contact sports for 12–17-year-olds started back on 5 April 2021 and community access to high school sports facilities on 19 April. Edinburgh Leisure’s tennis courts and golf courses have been open since June 2020.  Golf in particular, has seen an upsurge in people participating, with the uptake of their Winter Golf membership up 400%, compared to figures in 2019. 

From Monday, 26 April, Edinburgh Leisure indoor venues can reopen for individual exercise. It is hoped that outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart on 17 May, and indoor non-contact sport from early June, as advised in the Scottish Government’s Route Map. 

Just like in September 2020 when Edinburgh Leisure reopened their venues after the first lockdown, the Edinburgh Leisure experience will be different from before but customers will still receive the warm, Edinburgh Leisure welcome.

The main changes that customers will notice are:

• All activities must be booked via the Edinburgh Leisure app or website.
• Edinburgh Leisure continues to operate in a cashless environment, accepting contactless payments.
• Safety guidance will be on display throughout the venues.
• Enhanced cleaning will take place and there are additional sanitisation stations are available in the venues for use before and after each visit.
• All activities are timetabled with staggered session start times to reduce congestion.
• Customers must wear face coverings in communal areas, but not for their activities.

During lockdown, despite being closed, Edinburgh Leisure has continued to invest in their venues and services to enhance the customers’ experience when they return.

Some of the improvements include:

• ‘Easy access’ has been installed at Gracemount and Ainslie Park Leisure Centres, creating a quicker and more efficient way for customers to access their booked activities, without the need to check in at reception first. Customers simply swipe their fob or membership card when they enter a venue. 
• New digital technology in the form of boditrax, installed at the Royal Commonwealth Pool and MyZone at Craiglockhart Leisure Centre, will motivate customers to understand and achieve their training goals. MyZone is already available at Leith Victoria Swim Centre, Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dumbrae Leisure Centre and Ainslie Park Leisure Centre.
  
• Their ‘Refresh’ cafes at the Royal Commonwealth Pool and The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena will also reopen on 26^th April.  Although they will be operating a limited menu, customers can choose to either takeaway or sit-in.  For those customers sitting in, enhanced cleaning arrangements will be in place and customers will be asked to ‘check-in’ and scan the QR code in-venue to support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect service, which can be downloaded as an app to a customer’s phone.
  
• To help support a return to the water, some new pool products are being introduced.  New relaxed swim sessions for adults will be available at Portobello Swim Centre and the Royal Commonwealth Pool.  The pool will be divided width-wise into four. Two of these areas will be for anyone who wants to swim widths, and customers won’t need to get out of the pool if they want to take a break, as long as physical distancing is maintained.  The other two areas will be for customers who just want to enjoy the water but not necessarily swim widths.  Again, physical  distancing measures will apply.

Family swims are also available. 

There’s  also some bookable one to one adult swim coaching at the Royal Commonwealth Pool.  Suitable for beginners or those more experienced swimmers who want to improve their stroke, these sessions will help swimmers reach their goals quicker with expert coaching from an Edinburgh Leisure swim coach.

Edinburgh Leisure is keen to support swimmers with a disability to continue to swim. As all activities need to be booked in advance, a new Carer Access Card has been created, which allows carers to book a place alongside the individual they are supporting. The access card allows a carer to book into an activity alongside an Edinburgh Leisure member at no additional cost to the carer.

June Peebles, CEO of Edinburgh Leisure said:  “Edinburgh Leisure is committed to ‘building back better’ to a sustainable Edinburgh Leisure and to continue making a positive impact to the citizens of Edinburgh’s health and wellbeing – as we have done for the last 23 years.

“We’re very grateful for all the support we have received throughout lockdown from customers and the City of Edinburgh Council. The positive messages we’ve received from customers have boosted our spirits no end. The benefits of being physically active are more important than ever and we remain committed to helping Edinburgh keep active and well – always.”

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Leader and Depute Leader have promised to help businesses recover safely and sustainably, as Scotland prepares for the easing of lockdown from 26 April.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The First Minister’s update is great news for people across the Capital – I’m sure businesses will be delighted their hard work to plan for reopening will pay off after this most challenging winter.

“Many of us are already planning catch-ups with friends, a reunion with family members from across Scotland or elsewhere in the UK or a long-awaited return to the gym.

“We need to help our local economy reopen safely and sustainably and our licensing and business support teams, along with partners like Edinburgh Leisure, are working hard to make sure that happens, helping businesses to navigate the changing guidance.

“We know residents are keen to get back to their fantastic local and city centre shops, cafés, restaurants and museums and taking advantage of so much more besides that our Capital has to offer. After so many months without these luxuries this is an opportunity for residents to rediscover their Capital.

“We’ll soon be launching a campaign, along with partners, to inspire locals and, as restrictions allow, visitors, to explore all the city has to offer and to find new places to visit, shop or dine.

“While the forthcoming lifting of restrictions is very welcome, and recognises the sustained fall in COVID cases, we must not let all of our hard work and sacrifices go to waste. We still need to stick to the rules and keep to the public health guidance. Social distancing, self-isolating and getting tested when needed will still be a feature for some time to come if we are to stay on-track for the city’s long-term recovery.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “With spring in full bloom, all children back to school and, now, the reopening of shops, hospitality venues and gyms, not to mention libraries and museums across the Capital, there is much to be hopeful about, and to look forward to over the coming months.

“I want to thank the many people who have been so patient and careful over the winter, helping us to keep COVID numbers down and preventing unneeded pressure on the NHS. It’s down to all of you that we’ll now be able to tentatively emerge from lockdown, and we’ll be working hard to support the many businesses who have sacrificed over recent months to get back up and running.

“However, as we look toward a brighter future, we still need to be mindful of the real risks the virus continues to pose – we’re not out of the woods quite yet. So please, let’s continue to keep observing the rules in place, keeping one another safe for a healthy and happy summer.”