No contact info, no beer: Pubs clamp down on details

Pubs and restaurants are now required by law to collect customers’ contact details as new rules come into force.

The requirement is to help Test and Protect teams as the Scottish Government looks to contain coronavirus.

Further rules have been introduced to combat the spread of the virus in the hospitality sector, meaning tables should be pre-booked and customer queuing should be avoided.

There should be no background music and TVs should be muted to reduce the need for people to shout or lean in close to one another.

No more than three households at a time should meet in a group.

Additionally, staff have been told face shields may be used but only if they are worn in addition to a mask.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said a common factor in the rise in new coronavirus outbreaks across the world – including the Aberdeen cluster – is the hospitality sector.

Settings such as pubs and restaurants are particularly susceptible to the virus.

She last week: “I now intend to make it mandatory for a range of settings, including hospitality businesses, to collect customer details.”

Placing compliance on a “statutory footing”, Sturgeon added, will ensure Test and Protect can function as effectively as possible.

She said Police Scotland will enforce the measures, which came into effect from Friday, if necessary.