Scotland bans outdoor consumption of alcohol and non-essential click and collect

Scotland’s First minister Nicola Sturgeon has banned the outdoor consumption of alcohol across mainland Scotland, amid a tightening of covid-19 restrictions which includes the tightening of rules around ‘non-essential’ click and collect.

The new rules, which Sturgeon called “regrettable but necessary” would prohibit people from buying takeaway beer to drink outside as the Scottish government cracks down on people being outside for “non-essential” reasons and closes an apparent loophole in the stay at home law issued on 5 January.

Click and collect services will also be restricted to essential services only, which were listed as clothes, homeware, baby equipment and books, with retailers having to offer staggered appointment and supply goods through a hatch to stop people coming indoors.

The new rules will come into effect on Saturday.

“Case numbers are still so high – and the new variant so infectious – that we must be as tough and as effective  as we can be to stop it spreading,” she told ministers.