Table service is now also required by law
THE Scottish Government has confirmed premises must close their doors at 10pm from tonight, with no drinking up time, under the new COVID-19 ‘curfew’ for licensed premises.
The legislation bringing the curfew into force, published by the Scottish Government last night (September 24), confirms that premises must close their doors at 10pm from tonight. The law applies to all bars and restaurants, including those located in hotels – although hotel room service can continue afterwards.
The legislation is in line with similar rules in England although Welsh legislation allows for alcohol sales to stop at 10pm, with premises shut at 10.20pm.
Serving customers by table service only is now also required by law in Scotland. This has been part of the Scottish Government’s ‘statutory guidance’ for some time but was never a legal requirement.
The Scottish Government has added details of the new rules to the FAQ section of its tourism and hospitality sector guidance, available here.
The FAQ addresses the lack of a drinking up time under the curfew, saying: “These are not normal times and the objective is to reduce the risk of transmission by reducing the amount of time people spend in hospitality settings. These measures are not what government want to do but are required in the interest of public health so it is unfortunately necessary to insist that premises are closed by 22:00.”
