Dumfries and Galloway recycling centres to re-open and teachers to return to classrooms as lockdown easing to begin

Teachers are set to return to classrooms next month with pupils going back to school on August 11.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed the plans in her four-phase lockdown exit strategy on Thursday.

She said children will return to a “blended model” where they will do a mix of school and home learning.

Yesterday’s announcement also paved the way for garden centres to re-open and a return to outdoor pursuits such as golf, tennis, bowls and fishing.

Recycling centres in the region will also be open to the public from June 1.

Residents are expected to flock to the sites to offload rubbish, forcing council chiefs to agree traffic management measures with police.

Centres at Whithorn and Thornhill will remain closed initially over fears that adequate control measures cannot be implemented at the sites.

Council Leader Elaine Murray welcomed the easing of restrictions.

She told the Standard: “Recycling centres are expected to reopen on June 1. At first it will be general waste only because it is likely that the centres will be very busy, so people can offload excess waste. Staff will not be helping them unload due to the volume expected and traffic management processes will be in place because of the volume of traffic expected.

“We have agreed these measures with the police but we cannot put adequate measures in place at Thornhill or Whithorn, so these will stay closed for the moment.”

Ms Sturgeon said if Scotland continues to make progress against the coronavirus pandemic, people will be able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas, and will be able to meet people from one other household while outside but remaining two metres apart.

Castle Douglas Household Waste Recycling Centre has been shut during lockdown. (Jim McEwan)

But there will be no visiting inside other houses.

Take-away and drive-through food outlets will no longer be discouraged from re-opening, but “non-essential” indoor shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs must remain closed during the first phase.

She added: “There is no completely risk free way of easing lockdown. If we move too quickly, the virus could run out of control again. The threat of a second wave of the virus later in the year is very real indeed.

“It’s important to stress, though, that while the permitted reasons to be out of your house will increase, the default message during phase one will remain ‘Stay at Home’ as much as possible.”

The situation will be reviewed every three weeks, with further phases of easing being introduced if enough progress is being made on keeping the virus under control.