Current coronavirus guidelines on meeting others

Stay at home
To minimise the risk of spreading the virus, you must stay at home as much as possible. You can find out more at the gov.scot website.

Levels 0-2
If you live in an area in level 0-2 you mustn’t travel in and out of areas in levels 3 or 4 unless it’s essential. You should also try not to travel between areas in other levels as well.

Level 3
If you live in a level 3 area you mustn’t leave your local authority area unless it’s essential. 

Level 4
If you live in a level 4 area you mustn’t leave your local authority area unless it’s essential and should try to travel within your local authority area as little as possible.

All levels
Essential reasons for travel include:

• work
• education (this includes travel for school, university and nursery, home education, training and school day trips) 
• essential childcare
• if you are sharing parenting or in an extended household and you live in different local authority areas
• providing or receiving voluntary services
• children’s organised activities (including baby and toddler groups)
• accessing healthcare
• antenatal and postnatal classes.

You can find out more about travel restrictions and exemptions, travelling safely and using public transport on the Scottish Government website.

We should avoid car sharing with people outside an extended household unless it's essential.

Stay at home

Only essential shops can stay open. Try to shop online or as close to home as you can, and to go shopping on your own if you can.

Levels 0-4

Unless you live in a level 4 area, non-essential shops can open. In level 4, only essential shops can stay open, although click and collect and outdoor retail is still permitted.

Whatever level your area is in, as you might expect, shopping isn't quite the same experience it was before coronavirus, as shops are putting safety measures into place. So for example you must maintain physical distancing, there may well be plexiglass screens at counters, signs and floor markings around the store, and you may have to queue outside. The Scottish Government has published guidance for retailers which help you understand the actions that stores should be taking. These measures are all being put in place to keep staff and customers safe.

All levels

As a customer there are some simple steps you and your family should follow to make your shopping experience safe and enjoyable. 

• You must wear a face covering when you go into a shop unless there’s a medical reason not to. Children under 5 don’t need to wear a face covering.
• Shop local, and don’t travel any further than necessary.
• Be prepared for shopping to take a little bit longer than usual and understand that you may need to queue for longer as a result. If it’s sunny, make sure you’ve got sunscreen on, and avoid smoking while you’re queuing.
• Maintain physical distancing from other customers and staff where possible and always follow any one way systems in place.
• Use click and collect facilities or online delivery if you can.
• Shop in as small a group as possible.
• Try to avoid busy times and crowded areas. If you see a store is busy, try to come back another time.
• Use hand sanitiser if it’s provided and always wash your hands when you get home.
• Be considerate to retail staff and follow their instructions. Remember that they’re working in challenging circumstances.
• Be prepared to show ID for age-restricted products and possible removal of face coverings if requested.
• Try not to touch things if you’re not considering buying them.
• If using a disposable face covering, after use please dispose of this hygienically in a bin.

Stay at home

Restaurants, cafés and pubs are closed, but take away is still permitted.

Levels 0-4

Depending on the level your area is in, there may be measures relating to when restaurants and cafés can open and what they can serve. Visit the Scottish Government website to find out more. If you are visiting a café or restaurant, remember you should stick to the following steps to ensure you stay safe and protect others:

• Follow the rules about meeting other households in your area.
• Stick to physical distancing rules.
• Wear a face covering when you're moving around the restaurant or café (you don't need to wear one when you're eating or drinking).
• Book in advance if you can and avoid busy times, as crowds make physical distancing difficult.
• Try not to touch shared surfaces.
• Pay attention to all signs and listen to staff.
• Provide your contact details to help support Test and Protect.

The Protect Scotland app from NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect is a free, mobile phone app designed to help us protect each other and further reduce the spread of coronavirus. The app will alert you if you have been in close contact with another app user who tests positive for coronavirus. And if you test positive, it can help identify people who you have been in close contact with that you may have otherwise missed, while keeping your information private and anonymous. You can find out more about the app here.

If you’re going out and about, think about what you will need to take with you to stay safe:

• hand sanitiser
• tissues and a bag to put used tissues in
• something to cover your face with and a bag to keep it in
• antibacterial wipes.

If you need to travel by public transport or go into a shop or other indoor public place, you and any children aged 5 and over must wear a face covering. However, under 5s shouldn't wear face coverings at all. You can find out more about face coverings and where you need to wear one here. In addition, you shouldn't use alcohol-based hand sanitiser on babies under 1 year old. You should avoid sharing a car with other households unless absolutely necessary.

Another thing you’ll need to think about it is going to the loo, as public toilets may be closed. If you are visiting someone you can use their loo as long as you avoid touching surfaces, wipe any surfaces that you do touch with antibacterial wipes, wash your hands thoroughly and dry them with a clean towel or a paper towel, which you should dispose of in a closed bin. 

When you’re out, it’s really important that you remember the following things, as they all help reduce the spread of the virus:

• Stay 2 metres away from anyone who isn’t a member of your household unless they are under 12 years old
• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitiser if you can’t wash your hands
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and put the tissue away in a bag or bin afterwards
• Try not to touch your face
• Try not to touch any hard surfaces such as gates, benches, walls or fences
• Wash your hands thoroughly when you get home.

Our pages on staying safe during coronavirus and coronavirus guidelines for children has more information.

You can find out more about physical distancing and hygiene on the NHS Inform website.

When you’re planning to go out, try to head for places that are less likely to be busy, and where your children will be able to play without getting too close to other people. It’s a good idea to have back up plan in place, so if the place you were going to turns out to be crowded, you have somewhere else nearby to go.

Getting outdoors is great for everyone’s health and wellbeing, but as the weather gets colder, it’s important to wrap up warm. Charity shops are great places to pick up warm woollies and coats for children who are growing all the time. You could also ask online if any of your friends with older children have any clothes they can pass on to you – you could pass your kids’ outgrown clothes on to someone else. Just give them a wash or a wipe down before you wear them. By not buying new, not only are you saving money, you’re also helping save the planet!

Being outside is great for your kids’ wellbeing and development so it’s good to take them outdoors to play as often as you can. You can find ideas for games to play outdoors here.

If you’re not able to go out because you’re self-isolating, our page on keeping active during coronavirus has tips to help you cope. You can find out more about self-isolating here.