Fifers have collectively called on the Scottish Government not to make the region subject to more stringent Tier 3 restrictions ahead of the new five-level system coming into force on November 2.
All 32 local authorities will discover on Thursday where they will sit in the new regime, and there are growing concerns Fife could be considered for a higher tier given the fact it is sandwiched between Dundee and Edinburgh – both of which are expected to be given Tier 3 status.
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However, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to resist that temptation, with the general consensus appearing to suggest most sections of society would prefer to see Fife remain in Tier 2.
Councillors David Alexander and David Ross, co-leaders of Fife Council, said: “We’re hoping that Fife would be placed in Tier 2 given that we’re not currently covered by the stricter measures that other authorities in the central belt are. We’ll just have to see what happens.
“We had a useful telephone call yesterday with the Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell MSP regarding Fife’s placement within the tier system and we are pleased that our views on this will be taken into account by Scottish Government.
“We’d like to reassure everyone that no matter what tier we’re in, we’re doing everything we can to help Fifers and businesses through this extremely challenging period and we’ll continue to do this.
“It is important that people follow the public health guidance as this will help to reduce the spread of the virus and reduce the restrictions in Fife.”
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Alan Mitchell, chief executive of Fife Chamber, said he was also confident Fife would be placed in Tier 2.
“It would be a huge disappointment if we moved to a higher tier given the relatively low transmission rates in the Kingdom and the hard work by local businesses to comply with all the regulations and guidelines to keep staff, visitors and customers safe.
“Because Fife is between two regions with a higher incidence of Covid, there is obviously a risk that people coming into Fife or travelling through Fife from those areas could increase rates here.
“But that won’t happen if people from those areas comply with the regulations and if Fife businesses continue to prioritise safety as they have done all along.”
Fife’s hospitality industry remains unhappy at the current restrictions and vehemently opposes any escalation.
If confirmed, Level 2 status would be similar to the current arrangements with time restrictions on hospitality still applying, although alcohol will be permitted to be sold indoors with a main meal until 8pm.
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Jeff Ellis, acting secretary of the Fife Licensed Trade Association, said ongoing restrictions could be the “final nail” for many businesses.
He said: “There is clearly a fine balancing act to be performed by all governments regarding the management of the Covid-19 crisis, between protecting public health and protecting the economy.
“Understanding the virus has involved a very steep learning curve.
“That being said it is absolutely vital that well-considered, appropriate measures based on evidence are taken that will be as effective as possible whilst incurring the least collateral damage.
“The latest round of restrictions being imposed on the hospitality sector fail that test and will make a bad situation simply catastrophic.
“The justification for treating the hospitality sector in this way does not bear close scrutiny.
“For years now pubs have been treated as a soft target for any politician looking to be seen to be taking decisive action, usually regarding the misuse of alcohol, but in this instance in handling the pandemic.
“The subtext of the measures taken thus far has been that alcohol itself is deemed to be the issue.”
