Funeral Industry News
First Minister announces further easing of restrictions from 19 July 2021.
July 14, 2021 by funeral-industry-news No Comments | Category Uncategorized
Yesterday (13 July 2021) the First Minister of Scotland announced that all of Scotland will move to a slightly modified Protection Level 0 on 19 July 2021.
The easings from 19 July 2021 which the funeral sector will wish to be aware of specifically are:
- Up to 200 people will be able to attend funeral services and post-funeral gatherings, with physical distancing.
- General physical distancing requirements in public spaces, including regulated venues (e.g. crematoriums) will be reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre, both indoors and outdoors.
- General gatherings limits on outdoor gatherings in a public space will be 15 people from 15 households. Additionally, there are no requirements to physically distance outside within a social grouping of up to 15 people, but 1 metre distancing should be maintained from all others outside.
- Limits on outdoor gatherings at a private dwelling (private gathering) will be 15 people from 15 households. No physical distancing is required at private dwellings.
- Limits on indoor gatherings at a private dwelling will be 8 people from 4 households. No physical distancing is required in a private dwelling.
- Test and Protect remains an important measure in responding to the pandemic, and requirements to wear face coverings indoors will remain in place.
The First Minister also reaffirmed the intention to move beyond Protection Level 0 on 9 August 2021, should the data allow.
The full detail of the First Minister’s announcement can be found here.
The Scottish Government’s funeral related COVID-19 guidance will be updated as soon as practically possible to highlight these upcoming changes, and their implications for funeral services, funeral directors, and burial authorities and cremation authorities.