East Lothian moved back to COVID-19 Protection Level 3 at 6pm on Friday, 18 December. Level 4 restrictions will apply to all of mainland Scotland from Boxing Day.
Key points about Protection Level 3:
- There continue to be restrictions on meeting others socially - this includes not meeting anyone who is not from your household indoors in your home or in their home.
- You must not travel into or out of Level 3 local authority areas except for essential reasons.
- Travel restrictions were put into law last month.
You can read more about the requirements of Protection Level 3 on the Scottish Government website.
There is also a page with specific travel advice.
Important update - Saturday, 19 December
The First Minister has announced that:
- The planned easing of restrictions around Christmas will be limited to Christmas Day itself, and not the previous five day window that was plannedLegal household limits will still apply - a maximum of 8 people from 3 households - however advice is to minimise the numbers. Where possible, people should celebrate the festive period at home in their own household and meet with others outdoors
- Other than for specific exemptions, travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will not be legal
- Travel within Scotland will be allowed on Christmas Day
- From Boxing Day, all of Scotland will have Level 4 restrictions applied, including the closure of non-essential retail and hospitality. The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where restrictions have been reduced in recent weeks, who will be placed in Level 3
- From Boxing Day, in line with existing law, travel across local authority boundaries between areas in Level 3 or 4 will not be legal other than for specific exempt purposes
Remember ‘FACTS’
F reminds us to cover our faces
A means avoiding crowded places
C is for cleaning our hands regularly
T is for the two-metre distance we all need to maintain
S is to self-isolate if we think we’ve caught the virus.
Other useful links include: