A leading epidemiologist has announced the "bulk of the pandemic" will be behind the United Kingdom by the autumn.
Professor Neil Ferguson, who was one of the architect's of lockdown, said the covid vaccine had fundamentally changed the picture of the pandemic.
Speaking on the BBC 's Today programme Prof Ferguson offered an optimistic prediction against the battle with coronavirus.
The Imperial College London expert said there could still be a surge in cases in the autumn when schools return but the numbers of people dying or getting seriously ill had been cut.
Cases have fallen in Scotland over the last week.
Scottish Government figures showed that 1,000 people tested positive for the deadly virus across the country yesterday.
Prof Ferguson said: "We're not completely out of the woods but the equation has fundamentally changed.
"The effect of the vaccines has been huge in reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death.
"I think, I'm positive by late September/October we will be looking back at most of the pandemic.
"We'll still have covid with us, we'll still have people dying from covid, but we will put the bulk of the pandemic behind us."
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