One of Edinburgh's most popular bars has slammed the announcement today that outdoor beer gardens will not be able to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown.
Fans of CC Blooms were excited for the bar's planned return, however Nicola Sturgeon has said that this will not be possible because of fears about how the virus could spread in that environment.
She said there was concerning research about "super spreading" in places where people might be shouting to be heard over others.
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CC Blooms had already taken bookings for this weekend, but following the First Minister's speech in the Scottish Parliament, the bar took to Facebook to say they would have to be cancelled.
The next review on whether they will be able to reopen will take place on July 2.
In their message on Facebook, the bar said that the announcement was a "shocking blow" to the hospitality business.
They said: "Following the announcement today from Nicola Sturgeon, we regret that we are unable to open as expected. This is a shocking blow for hospitality. We certainly won’t be opening before 2nd July.
"All bookings will be cancelled. We apologise to all our amazing customers who booked and advise to watch further announcements though we get very little notice from the government.
"Thanks for your patience at this time, but unfortunately we can only work to the timescales provided by the government."
Nicola Sturgeon said she understood the restrictions were cautious, but explained going too fast could see the virus move out of control again.
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She said this is the “biggest responsibility” she has faced, adding: “I will act responsibly, I will act carefully and I will act cautiously.
“We need to remain diligent and lift restrictions with care, that is what I am going to do.”
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