Scotland’s Night Time Industry has welcomed the ending of restrictions on its industry as clubbers returned to the dance floor for the first time in more than a year.
The Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) has confirmed it has paused its “tireless and protracted” legal pressure on the Scottish Government.
Earlier in the month the First Minister announced all restrictions from the levels system will end today letting all premises reopen operating normal hours at full licensed capacity.
The final guidance and regulations were received on Friday with regards to what is required as baseline measures as the country moves beyond level 0.
After seeking further clarification from Scottish Government, it confirmed that drinking at a bar is allowed, and that people dancing at nightclubs are not required to wear face coverings.
This follows the Scottish Hospitality group criticising the Scottish Government’s announcement as a “complete disaster”.
However, the group will be monitoring the situation closely moving forward and keeping all options open in the event of any future changes to regulations.
Mike Grieve, chairman at NTIA Scotland, said: “We still have some concerns about the practical implications of mask wearing in late night venues, these generally sensible relaxations of restrictions hopefully arrive in time to save Scotland’s world class nightlife from financial armageddon.
“With the long awaited guidance now issued by Scottish Government, we can at last plan properly for a return to business as usual whilst maintaining our commitment to public health and the wellbeing of our customers and staff.”
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