New guidance for businesses has been issued by the Scottish Government in a bid to halt the number of rising cases across the country.
Practising social distancing, encouraging employees to get vaccinated and controlling the use of toilets and kitchens are just some of the measures announced.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday at Holyrood that restrictions were being implemented due to the rapid spread of the new variant.
At First Minister's Questions she revealed that Omicron, which was first identified in southern Africa, would likely become the dominant strain in Scotland by tomorrow.
She told MSPs in the Scottish Parliament: "Let me be clear, this is not a choice between protecting health and protecting the economy."
Sturgeon said a surge in infections "will cause and indeed is already causing staff absences that will also cripple the economy and other critical services".
She added: "Please reduce your contact with people from households other than your own as much as you possibly can. For now, please stay at home much more than you normally would and as much as is feasible.
"Right now the risk of getting Covid from interactions with others is high and it is rising. So ask yourself before doing anything you might have planned over the coming days, is it as safe as it needs to be and is it vital enough to you to justify that risk.
"I suspect what is most important to most of us over the next couple of weeks is having time with our families at Christmas. Every interaction we have before then increases the risk of us getting Covid and so possibly losing that."
The measures announcement today will come into effect from midnight tonight.
Here are some of the measures for businesses:
All businesses
- Changing the layout of premises including the location of furniture and workstations
- Controlling the use of entrances, passageways, stairs and lifts
- Controlling the use of shared facilities such as toilets and kitchens
- Installing barriers or screens
Hospitality
- Mandatory collection of contact details remains in place
- Mandatory reasonable measures to reduce the risk of transmission
- Strongly encourage the use of table service where possible, alternatively a takeaway service may be provided, though bar service is now permitted in law
Shops, retail and shopping centres
- Control the flows of customers entering/exiting and in- store to minimise risk of transmission - wherever possible put in place separate entrance and exits to help control the flow of customers
- Promote, provide and maintain hygiene stations and enhanced cleaning measures through out stores
- Use tannoy systems, signs, floor markings and queue management systems to help people keep a safe distance from others particularly at potential pinch-points of congregation like tills
- Promoting the use of face coverings
- Using screens to create a physical barrier between people, for example at till points and self-service checkouts;
- Maximising fresh air coming into the premises.
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