Garden centres and homeware stores to close in level 4 areas from Boxing Day
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HOMEWARE stores and garden centres will have to close in all level 4 areas from Boxing Day.
The Scottish Government announced the tightening of retail rules today, classing both sectors as non-essential.
"Click and collect" services from these stores can still operate, however.
Members of the public within level 4 areas are also being urged to stay close to home to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and the new variant of the virus.
The changes were announced during a statement to Parliament by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She said: "Given the severity of the situation we face and the need to limit interactions as much as possible, we intend to define essential retail more narrowly than we have done recently.
"In short, that means homeware stores and garden centres will be classed as non-essential and will therefore require to close, with the exception of 'click and collect'.
"Financial support will remain available for businesses affected and the finance secretary is urgently assessing what more the Scottish Government can do, particularly for the sectors most affected.
"For those living in level 4 areas – which from Saturday will be the vast majority of us – our strong advice is to stay as local as possible and to stay at home as much as possible.
"We will be considering in the days ahead whether we need to place that advice in law.
"As more evidence of the impact of this new strain becomes available, we will consider whether there is a need to strengthen level 4 restrictions any further."
