Furious Glaswegians slam ban on indoor visits while pubs and restaurants remain open

Exasperated Glaswegians have mauled Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to ban 800,000 people from visiting other households while the pubs remain open.

Since midnight, people living in the Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire areas have been slapped back into a partial lockdown.

Scotland’s First Minister today doubled down on her ‘difficult decision’ which followed a flurry of 66 coronavirus cases.

But many Glaswegians remain puzzled by her reasoning as to why they can congregate in a pub or restaurant but not in their relatives’ houses.

And there are even rumblings of a rebellion, with some residents suggesting they will refuse to follow the rules. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move after 66 new positive tests were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area yesterday

Branding the re-imposition of restrictions ‘a step back’, mother Jenna struggled to make sense of the policy.

‘I like to think it will be effective but ultimately, I can’t have friends in the house but I can go to the pub and meet them? I don’t understand the difference,’ she told Glasgow Live. 

Other Glaswegians echoed her exasperation and said not being able to visit elderly relatives would be especially tough.

Donna, from Glasgow’s East End, said: ‘You can go on buses, you can go to restaurants but you can’t have them visit the house? I don’t understand it.

‘The grandkids can’t come visit your house, but you can go see them outside. That’s a big issue. It doesn’t make sense.’

Even ex-Rangers star Gordon Smith waded into the debate to lash out at the decision to reintroduce curbs, which he called an overreaction.

He said: ‘I’m not that happy with it. I think we’ve been going over the top with this whole thing.’

He added: ‘I have family members, though some might still be able to come as you can be part of a bubble. 

‘We had friends due to meet soon who were meant to be coming to the house. We can’t visit them either. It does affect life. Not just the financial aspect, but the mental aspect as well.’ 

Indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to 'essential-only' to protect the most vulnerable

Indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be limited to ‘essential-only’ to protect the most vulnerable

Under the new rules - which also apply to West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire - residents are no longer allowed to meet up with other households indoors

Under the new rules – which also apply to West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire – residents are no longer allowed to meet up with other households indoors

One person replied to Ms Sturgeon’s Facebook post suggesting she will deliberately flout the rules.

She said: ‘Sorry but I won’t stop seeing my daughter or my granddaughter whilst everyone that doesn’t follow the rules in the first place are all out enjoying pubs n restaurants. 

‘I’ve followed all the rules up till now but I won’t be the fall guy for people that have not and will never do what’s asked of them.’

The new measures – which have been put in place for the next two weeks – also mean that indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will now be limited to ‘essential visits’.

Ms Sturgeon, the MSP for Glasgow Southside, said she understands that people in the area are ‘frustrated’, but urged them to see the move as a ‘wake-up call’.

Scotland's First Minister today doubled down on the 'difficult decision' which followed a flurry of 66 coronavirus cases

Scotland’s First Minister today doubled down on the ‘difficult decision’ which followed a flurry of 66 coronavirus cases

The First Minister tweeted: ‘I know how difficult all this is. I hate having to take these decisions and you all hate the impact of them.

‘My plea is that we treat yesterday’s developments as a wake up call and take seriously our individual responsibilities to stop COVID spreading.’ 

The lockdown was introduced after the latest daily figures showed 66 new positive coronavirus cases were recorded in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

While across Scotland the number of positive cases of coronavirus is 9.2 per 100,000 people, in Glasgow it stands at 21.8, in East Renfrewshire it is 18.8, and in West Dunbartonshire it rises to 32.6 per 100,000, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said.

What are the new lockdown rules imposed in West Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and Glasgow

  • No meeting people from other households indoors
  • Members of different households – who are not in a bubble – should only meet outdoors or in hospitality settings with social distancing
  • Any close contacts of someone who has tested positive should isolate for 14 days
  • Only essential visits to hospitals and care homes
  • Outdoor visits to care homes are allowed. There should only be three people at a time and the visit cannot last longer than two hours

Mr Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme that the authorities are dealing with a ‘sizeably different position in these local authority areas’.

He added: ‘We feel we have to nip this particular problem in the bud in the West of Scotland.’

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘The virus is spreading again – in the West of Scotland especially – and the rise in cases in these three areas is a particular concern.

‘Given the toll we know Covid can take, doing nothing is not an option.’

She added that ‘data suggests that spread in and between households is driving much of the transmission just now’.

Based on that, she said, ‘clinical advice is that restricting household gatherings indoors – where it is most difficult to keep physical distance – is vital’.

Ms Sturgeon said closing pubs in the affected areas ‘wouldn’t be an alternative to that’ but instead is an additional measure which is not – for now – considered to be ‘proportionate’.

The First Minister continued: ‘Coupled with the extended advice on isolation for anyone with potential exposure to the virus, we hope these targeted measures will be sufficient to prevent further spread – if people comply with them.

‘However, we will need to keep situation under review. When we face these situations, there are no good options for those taking decisions. 

‘Our objective is to stem spread with the least impact on lives and the economy. But we must all try to stop the virus spreading in first place – Government can’t do that alone.’

Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council said the new lockdown measures are ‘absolutely necessary, albeit very disappointing’.

‘I don’t think any of us wanted to be in a position where we have to take a step backwards but the figures speak for themselves,’ she said.

‘The new infection rate, the incidence rate per 100,000 population in the city of Glasgow is more than double the national average right now so we can’t ignore that.

‘Action has to be taken and I think what is particularly important about this action, which is limited … we are not having to go to the stage of closing businesses or schools, which we absolutely want to avoid.’