Pubs and bars to be banned from selling alcohol indoors from Friday

Pub, bars and restaurants in Scotland will only be able to open between 6am and 6pm from Friday 9th October.

And they will not be able to sell alcohol indoors in the latest tightening of restrictions.

They will be allowed to sell alcohol outdoors, up to 10pm.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that new infections could reach figures similar to March by the end of this month, if these new restrictions were not introduced.

Ms Sturgeon said that the reason she had not asked all bars and restaurants to close across the country was because it would be detrimental to the public’s mental health to stop them from being able to socialise.

Face coverings will become mandatory for staff in work canteens, she said, and supermarkets will also be asked to reintroduce one-way systems and physical distancing.

She added she realised the new restrictions would be “unwelcome”, but they were essential for the government to get on time of rising infections.