Scottish town centre closure fears as offices to remain shut

Scots have been warned that a return to offices around the country remains “too great a risk” as Nicola Sturgeon said that home working must continue to combat the threat of coronavirus.

There are fears over the impact on town centres. Picture: Michael Gillen

No date has yet been set for the reopening of non-essential offices.

But business leaders have demanded clarity over when workplaces would be allowed to restart, raising concerns over the economic impact on town centres and calling for an urgent rethink.

Yesterday’s announcement came as the number of new Covid cases in Scotland reached a three month-high of 77, with growing concerns over recent clusters around the country in Aberdeen, Coupar Angus and Lanarkshire.

Gyms and swimming pools have been given the go-ahead to reopen before the end of the month by Ms Sturgeon, with football fans also to be allowed into stadiums by the middle of next month.

Theatre and live performance have also been given the green light to get up and running again.

But as Ms Sturgeon delivered her latest three-weekly update on lockdown measures to MSPs yesterday, she revealed that Scotland must stay in phase three of the exit route map.

And that decision means no sign of return to workplaces around the country, with the First Minister confirming: “We are not yet setting a date for the reopening of non-essential call centres and offices.”

The situation will be looked at again at the next review point in three weeks’ time.

Ms Sturgeon said: “For now, working from home will remain the default position.

“I know many office workers miss seeing their colleagues, and many are keen to resume a more normal daily routine.

I also know that some businesses – however well they are managing to work virtually – will want more of their employees to meet and work together. And of course I am acutely aware of the impact of home working on services – such as cafes and restaurants – which are based in areas with lots of office workers.

“However, a full return to office working – given the numbers involved – would significantly increase the risk of indoor transmission.”

Scottish business leaders reacted by saying firmer guidance must be produced on when offices could reopen.

Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said those who wanted to return to work must be allowed to do so “as early as possible”. She said: “Offices contribute to so many other sectors who rely on their business, especially in our town and city centres. The majority of us are following the guidelines. This needs to continue to ensure we all help build back our economy with no further lockdowns required.”

Andrew McRae, the Federation of Small Businesses’ Scotland policy chair, said: “We need ministers to consider the long-term impact of office closures. The longer offices are shut, the greater the impact on those town and city centre businesses who rely on office workers’ footfall.

“That not only has an impact on the firms in question, but also the viability of some local economies as a whole.”

The reopening of gyms and swimming pools has been brought forward a fortnight to 31 August, Ms Sturgeon announced, while outdoor contact sports, such as five-a-sides, can start again from this Monday.

Football stadiums and other sports venues will be allowed to reopen to a “limited” number of spectators on 14 September.

Other changes already earmarked for this Monday will go ahead, including some live outdoor events, with restrictions on numbers and distancing.

“Organised outdoor contact sports will also resume for people of all ages,” Ms Sturgeon said. “However, for outdoor coaching sessions, there will be a cap of 30 on the total number of people who can be coached at any one time.”

Driving lessons will also resume from Monday. Indoor face-to-face advice services, such as Citizens Advice, can also resume, while bingo halls will be allowed to reopen.

Theatres and live music venues will also be able to reopen from 14 September, with strict physical distancing in place. Preparation and rehearsals can get under way from Monday.

The SNP leader warned that Scotland could move to the final stage of its four-step plan to ease out of lockdown as the virus was still a significant threat.A total of 77 new Covid-19 cases were recorded, taking the total to 19,534. The “R” number, which signifies the reproduction of the virus across the country, is now above one, which means cases are increasing. However, numbers generally remain at a low level, which means this is not yet a major cause for concern.

“In the last three weeks, we have seen one significant outbreak of the virus in Aberdeen, and a number of smaller clusters in locations across the country,” Ms Sturgeon said.

There have now been 43 cases identified in a cluster in Coupar Angus, linked to a 2 Sisters food processing plant.

The number of cases in the cluster in north east Glasgow now stands at 16, while there is also a separate, but linked cluster of nine cases in Coatbridge.