The following restriction summary is only relevant in St Andrews. Additional restrictions are in place across the Central Belt of Scotland. This page will be updated as new reports are released and changes since the last update will be highlighted.
Students
If you are able, you should remain in your student accommodation and avoid visiting family at home to minimize spread. Any international students must follow the guidance on international travel including quarantine in relation to their visit.
If you do visit home, you must follow the rules on indoor social gatherings. If you have formed a new household in your accommodation, you are forbidden from staying overnight at another household. If you can show a reasonable excuse based on the circumstances, you can use it as a legal defence, examples include: family emergency; bereavement; or wellbeing reasons. Guidance has not currently been given for festive visits but will be updated in due course.
If you are self isolating you should avoid returning home but if you require physical, financial or mental health support severe enough to justify travel, you can return home but you must follow the self-isolating guidance and travel as safely as possible. If you move when self isolating, your new accommodation must self-isolate as a result.
You are allowed to move back home permanently as this will form a new single household. You should contact the university to arrange this.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Students
Medical Help
The NHS remains functioning and you should not delay getting treatment. GP surgeries should be open and providing phone and video consultations. If you are showing COVID19 symptoms, call 111. Some health services are restarting which were originally suspending. Health boards will be prioritizing cancer treatment, following by urgent elective surgery and IVF treatments.
Mental health treatments should be provided remotely but in special cases it can be delivered in person. However, safety guidance must be followed (COVID Guidance for Non Healthcare Settings). All participants must wear face coverings (with exceptions), stay socially distanced, maintain hand and cough hygiene, avoid hard surfaces, follow general advice (NHS Inform: COVID19 Physical Distancing), and ensure well ventilation.
Meeting Friends and Family
You must not meet anyone outside you household or extended households inside a private home (Phase 3: Seeing Friends and Family). Up to six people (not including persons under 12) from two households can meet outside with social distancing. A maximum of six 12-17yr olds from six households can meet outdoors, only with social distancing.
Exceptions are in place for providing essential care: you are permitted to enter someone's house to provide unpaid care, childcare, and delivering shopping to a vulnerable person. Tradespeople can also carry out work and repairs. Moreover, these restrictions no not apply where there are other, more specific, guidance rules in places (gyms, childcare etc).
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Seeing friends and family
Extended Households
A person who lives along or only with children under 18 can form an extended household (Phase 3: Extended Households) with another household of any size. All members of the households must consent and you are only permitted to form on extended household.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Seeing friends and family
Going to Work
People are advised to work from home where possible (Guidance on Working from Home). If your employer does not allow working from home, they must have taken reasonable measures to protect you, and all staff (Safer Workplaces).
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Work and business
Schools and Nurseries
Schools and nurseries are meant to remain open. Secondary school students and staff must wear face coverings when moving around the school. Individual schools will be closed on a case-by-case basis in the event of an outbreak and all schools must have facilities and plans in place for remote learning for all pupils (Guidance on Starting the New School Term).
Universities, colleges and community learning centers operate under different guidance (University Guidance). They should be delivering blended learning approaches, providing priority on-campus learning. Appropriate safety measures must be in place before in person teaching can take place.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Education and childcare
Leisure Time
Pubs, restaurants and cafes have restricted opening times from 06:00 to 18:00 only and are forbidden from serving alcohol. Alcohol can be served on outdoor premises until 22:00 BST. In all hospitality venues, table service is required. A maximum of six people (not including those under 12) from two households can meet. Exceptions are given for hotels, transport and student residences who may continue to serve non-alcoholic items to residents. All visitors must wear a face covering when not eating or drinking. Exceptions are also given to specific live events, including wedding receptions, which can continue with alcohol but with other restrictions in place. Takeaways are subject to local licensing.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Sport, culture and leisure
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Shopping, drinking and eating out
Shopping
Shops can remain open but only with social distancing and other preventative measures including one way systems. Face coverings must be worn at all times while on the premises (excluding those with exemptions: Phase 3: Face Coverings). Staff are required to wear face coverings unless 2m social distancing can be maintained or there are physical screens between staff and customers.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Shopping, drinking and eating out
Travel
Travel throughout Scotland is permitted to see family and friends (Transport Scotland: How to Travel Safely), as long as all relevant guidance is followed (Phase 3: Tourism Guidance). While restrictions are not in place, there is general guidance. You should avoid travelling outside of your health board unless required, additionally you should avoid accessing goods and services outside of your health board. Where possible, avoid public transport to keep it free for those who need it.
If you have a holiday already booked, you can still attend but this should only be with people from your own or extended household groups. You must still abide by UK international travel guidelines.
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Travel
Care Homes and Hospitals
Non-essential visits to care homes are being re-introduced. Residents can have up to 3 outdoor visitors from up to 2 households at any time and only by pre-arrangement. They are also permitted a single indoor visit once a week, by pre-arranged appointment, and only if the care home has had their visitation plans approved by the local health team. You should contact the care homes in advance to organize your visit and determine the rules specific to their case (Care Home Visiting Guidance).
Each person in hospital are permitted a single designated visitor, and only by pre-arrangement. Areas with local measures (listed below) may have specific guidance in place (Hospital Visiting Guidance).
Source: COVID-19 What you can and cannot do / Seeing friends and family
Misc
You are only permitted to car share with members of your own (or extended) households where possible. If not possible, you must limit travel with others as much as possible and follow the rest of the guidance (Travelling during COVID19: Car and Vehicle Sharing). Face coverings are mandatory on public transport and in all other indoor settings (museums, cinemas, galleries and places of worship: Phase 3: Places of Worship). Weddings, civil partnerships and funerals can take place with restrictions.
Clinically extremely vulnerable people are not advised to shield at this time but should still follow the guidance carefully (Information for Ex-Shielding Persons).