MSP Welcomes Edinburgh Moving To Level 0 Of COVID Restrictions

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, has welcomed the announcement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that Edinburgh will move from Level 2 to Level 0 on Monday 19th July, as will every other local authority in Scotland, if they are not already there.

Moving to level 0 means that 8 people from 4 households will be able to meet indoors and 10 people from 4 households in an indoor setting such as a pub or restaurant. 15 people from 15 households can meet outdoors; up to 2,000 people can attend stadia seated, 1,000 standing, with 400 people indoors. The limit on attendance at weddings and funerals has increased to 200.

International travellers arriving from amber list countries will not have to self-isolate if they have had two COVID vaccines, but the advice remains not to travel unless it is essential.

The First Minister also made it clear that face masks will continue to be mandatory in certain settings and are likely to be in the future.

Commenting, SNP MSP, Gordon MacDonald said, “I welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement that Edinburgh will move to Level 0 from Monday July 19th, this is a welcome step in easing restrictions and returning to normality.

“This is our one last push towards normality, I am very grateful for the efforts of everyone in Edinburgh to follow the rules and keep everyone safe.

“To get us over the line we need to continue to follow the rules which understandably continue to state that we must still wear face coverings in the settings we have been doing so in for some time now.

“It is also very important, if you have not already, to get vaccinated. There is a walk-in centre set up here for anyone who has not yet had a first dose or if you have waited 8 or more weeks for your second dose.

“Vaccination is our route out of the pandemic and we are in a race between the virus and the vaccine and we cannot allow the virus to get ahead.

“I would urge everyone to follow the rules laid out in the First Minister’s statement to ensure we can move to a greater sense of normality on the Scottish Government’s route map on August 9th.”