Demands to relax the ban on early morning alcohol sales have been ruled out by the Scottish Government.
The plan had been promoted as a way to let front-line workers take advantage of morning trading to buy drink.
However, health campaigners said the idea was “dangerous” and would send out mixed messages on health.
In Scotland, alcohol can’t be sold in shops before 10am. But many supermarkets have dedicated early trading hours to NHS workers and some vulnerable groups.
SNP minister Michael Russell turned down the call to add it to emergency coronavirus legislation, citing “Scotland's relationship with alcohol”.
He told MSPs at the Scottish Parliament: “I have considered it and I know the relevant health ministers have considered it.
"All I can say it is not in the Bill as drafted, the Scottish Government therefore does not intend to bring it forward."
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser, the convener of Holyrood's emergency Covid-19 Committee, said the current arrangements could "disadvantage" those who do their shopping earlier in the morning.
“I’m talking about people who might be in vulnerable groups, NHS workers, many of whom find themselves in the situation where the large supermarket chains, and indeed some of the smaller convenience stores, have set aside earlier shopping times for them before 9am in the morning so they are not coming into contact with others.
"But it does mean that they can not purchase alcohol with their weekly shop and if they want to purchase alcohol they then have to come back into the shop at a time when it is busier, and it does seem unfair to those individuals that they are left at that disadvantage.
