Scotland reopens beer gardens and outdoor cafes as lockdown eases

Nicola Sturgeon tells Scots to comply with measures to prevent spread of virus or stay home

Scots headed to beer gardens and outdoor cafes as they reopened across Scotland on Monday.

Some drinkers queued for more than an hour as outdoor spaces in pubs and restaurants were allowed to open for the first time in 13 weeks.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, urged people to comply with measures put in place to protect against the spread of coronavirus, such as providing names and contact details.

People should stay at home if they are not willing to comply with the new measures, Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish government’s coronavirus briefing.

Earlier in the day, she visited Cold Town House in Edinburgh to see changes put in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

“I hope that as we take these first gradual steps out of lockdown people will begin to feel more of the sense of normality that we have worked so hard for — although it is important to remember that the virus has not gone away so we cannot get complacent,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“No beer garden or cafe should feel the same as it did before.

“The vast majority of the hospitality industry will be following the rules and putting in place new procedures to help control the virus.”

Members of the public enjoy their first drink in a beer garden at the Hootenanny, Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA ) (Jane Barlow/PA)

The first minister also called on customers at the newly reopened businesses to be respectful to staff members.

She expressed some concerns at images of crowded streets in England after pubs opened on Saturday, urging people to avoid crowded areas.

But she added a “couple of images” doesn’t mean that the “vast majority” of people are not obeying the rules.

It comes as Scotland has now gone three days in a row without any new coronavirus deaths, Ms Sturgeon revealed.