Restrictions relaxed in the Borders from Friday evening

First minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the move to parliament this afternoon, after the region displayed consistently low levels of Covid-19.

This change means that Borderers can now meet people outside in groups of eight from three different households, hospitality venues can stay open until the later time of 10.30pm and alcohol can be served without a meal.

In addition, outdoor events and small seated indoor events can take place, mobile beauticians, make-up artists and other mobile close-contact services can resume and soft play, snooker halls and indoor bowling can reopen.

However, Mrs Sturgeon warned against complacency in areas moving down a tier.

Shona Haslam, the leader of Scottish Borders Council, who last week called for the region to be moved down a level, expressed her delight.

She said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Government have listened to the appeals of the hospitality industry in the Borders and has agreed to put us into Level 1 from this Friday, it is the right decision and one that I welcome.

“When I met with Michael Matheson, the cabinet secretary, on Sunday, we made a strong case to move to Level 1, this was backed up by public health and the police, who all felt that this weekend was the right time for the Borders to move to Level 1.

“All of our indicators are now firmly within the level 1 category and I am really proud of the work that the public and local businesses have done to get us to this point.

“This will make such a massive difference to our businesses in the run-up to Christmas and I hope that the public enjoy this responsibly and stay as safe as possible.”

John Lamont MP, said: “It is a huge relief to see the Scottish Borders move down to level 1.

“This will be welcomed by hospitality businesses who can start getting back to a more normal service from Friday.

“I am delighted that soft play centres can reopen too. They provide a great service to young families across the Borders.

“With vaccinations now underway across the UK, there is a real feeling that we are starting to see a clear path back to normal life. However, we must all continue to act responsibly to ensure we limit the spread of this terrible virus.”

Rachael Hamilton MSP, also welcomed the decision.

She said: “With cases falling over many weeks and remaining consistently low, it was logical that this decision was taken.

“In the run up to Christmas, it will mean that more businesses can open for longer, especially hospitality.

“However many weeks at Level 2 was difficult for businesses, given the reduced hours of trading and lower financial support that is on offer compared to in Level 3.

“I want to thank Borderers for their cooperation and I hope that as we saw the first vaccinations today in Coventry, we can take comfort that in the months ahead we will see more progress to eradicating this awful virus.

“As we approach Christmas, I would ask all Borderers to remember to adhere to the guidance to make sure we can stay in Level 1.”

Christine Grahame MSP also welcomed the news, but stressed the need for caution.

She said: “I’m delighted for everyone in the Borders that this change has been possible which is really down to the hard work and sacrifice of everyone who’s continued to stick to guidance to keep driving virus rates down – for that I thank them.

“At Level 1 there are still a number of restrictions and I’d encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with them to ensure they understand what’s being asked of them.

“This is great progress, but we mustn’t be complacent – we’ve seen before how quickly this virus can spread and rates increase again. Sticking to the current restrictions and continuing to be careful will ensure we protect this progress and, combined with the vaccine roll-out, return to something closer to normality as soon as possible.

“I’d particularly stress the importance of not travelling to Level 3 or 4 areas (including Edinburgh) unless it’s essential – please don’t make exceptions for Christmas shopping and so on.

“It’s illegal to do so and it’s just this sort of thing that could put our Level 1 status at risk.”