Covid-19 in Moray: Travel ban from 6pm tonight

Richard Lochhead had urged the public not to look for loopholes in the new travel laws that come into force at 6pm tonight.

These states that people from Moray should not travel to level 3 or 4 areas, such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, except for essential purposes.

They also state that people living in level 3 or 4 areas must not travel outside their local authority to areas, expect for essential purposes.

All non-essential travel between Scotland and other parts of the UK is also ruled out.

Mr Lochhead said: "These new laws are in place to help reduce the spread of the virus and it's important we follow these rules.

"So remember – we shouldn't see these as loopholes.

"People in Moray should only travel to a level 3 or 4 area if it is absolutely essential."

What is considered an essential reason:

• travel for shared parenting or travel between the two parts of an extended household
• travel for work, or to provide voluntary or charitable services, but only where that cannot be done from your home
• travel to school, college, or university where teaching is not provided remotely
• travel for essential shopping only where it is not possible in your local authority area
• travel for healthcare, social care, childcare and other essential services
• travel to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
• travel to visit a person receiving treatment in a hospital, staying in a hospice or care home
• travel to accompany a pregnant woman, vulnerable person or child to a medical appointment
• travel to meet a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings
• travel for essential animal welfare reasons, such as feeding a horse or going to a vet
• travel for weddings, civil partnership registrations, funerals and other 'life events'
• if you are a minister of religion or worship leader travel to your place of worship
• travel to your normal place of worship (to or from Level 3 areas, but not Level 4)
• travel to give blood at a Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service collection session
• travel to transit through Level 3 and 4 areas by road or public transport if your journey begins and ends outside such an area
• travel to move house
• travel to avoid injury, illness or to escape a risk of harm
• travel for under 18s sport (to and from Level 3 areas but not Level 4)

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.