Businesses can prepare to resume hybrid working from 31 January, enabling more people to have a flexible return to working between home and the office. Hybrid working guidance will be published shortly.
Testing requirements for fully vaccinated people arriving in Scotland are to be dropped from 4am on 11 February, following agreement at a cross-UK meeting. Travellers will still need to fill in passenger locator forms. Non vaccinated travellers will still be required to take pre-departure tests and a PCR test on or before day two – but the requirement for isolation will end – and they will no longer have to take a day eight test.
Other changes announced include the requirement for two metre physical distancing for indoor settings where people have a specific exemption from the need to wear a face covering – e.g. people leading religious services or carrying out some receptionist duties – reverting to one metre. In addition, face coverings will no longer be required for any adult taking part in organised activities when they are directly interacting with children under the age of five. Both of these changes are from Friday (28 January).
Guidance on the Close Contact Services Fund – which will provide financial support to businesses impacted by the requirement for physical distancing and capacity limits and advice to reduce contact within indoor settings that came into force from 9 December 2021 to 24 January 2022 – has been published. Information about funding to support the Scottish brewery industry has also been published.
A voluntary Distance Aware Scheme which will see free badges and lanyards will be available to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public will formally launch in Scotland tomorrow (January 26). A stakeholder pack is attached which includes posters and social media assets and suggested posts.
Guidance for businesses and workplaces on reducing the risk of COVID-19 and supporting staff and customers has been updated to enable businesses to take reasonable measures to limit the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
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