New Covid restrictions that the government hope will curb the spread of the Omicron variant in Scotland have come into force from today.
Social distancing has been reintroduced in a number of leisure and hospitality venues, while table service only will be allowed in pubs.
The rules come into force at 5am today, December 27, a day after rules limiting the size of crowds that can attend events like football matches.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced last week that just 100 people would be able to attend a standing indoor event and 200 seated.
Outdoor events like football will also be restricted to 500.
One-metre physical distancing has been reinstated in all hospitality and indoor leisure settings including pubs, restaurants, gyms, theatres and museums.
Nightclubs have also been told to close for at least three weeks unless they operate as a table service only venue with social distancing in place.
The rules will be reviewed by Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government within three weeks.
The Scottish Government is providing an extra £375 million in support, on top of the £100m announced last week, to support businesses affected by these restrictions.
But business leaders have warned this is not enough, with some raising concern about the impact on those not directly affected by restrictions who will lose out as Scots are given guidance to stay at home.
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “These temporary restrictions are targeted at reducing the spread of Omicron while the accelerated vaccination programme takes effect.
“I understand how difficult this has been for businesses in recent weeks but we must reduce our contacts and limit the spread of the virus.
“We’re providing £375 million in business support, which is a significant investment, to support those who have experienced cancellations and help them get back on their feet in the new year.
NHS prepares for Omicron impact
“The best way to support business sustainably is to get the virus back under control.
“Please get your boosters and stay at home as much as possible just now.”
The NHS has already started to prepare for the potential impacts of the Omicron variant, with the Scottish Ambulance Service putting in place a number of plans to deal with staff absences.
We reported how a memo sent to frontline staff had caused upset after service bosses said ambulance crews would only be able to take one break per shift rather than two.
Crews could also be split up to cope with demand, with clinicians teamed up with a non-medically trained driver.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Alarming’ new plan for Scottish ambulance crews to be cut to one medic
