Scots will see lockdown restrictions loosen over the coming days - with curbs on travel and meeting outdoors to loosen from Friday.
Nicola Sturgeon held an unexpected coronavirus press briefing from Edinburgh earlier this afternoon.
The First Minister said that there has been ‘significant progress’ made in tackling Covid in Scotland - with the number of new cases now at their lowest since September last year.
In addition to the new rules coming into place this Friday, the reopening of hospitality and non-essential retail is expected to be given the green light from April 26.
Despite the easing plans, Sturgeon urged Scots not to become complacent as the country continues to tackle the virus.
New figures released by the Scottish Government show the 221 people returned a positive coronavirus test in the last 24 hours.
Here is a list of the key dates to be aware of over the coming weeks and months.
April 16
Travel restrictions in Scotland to be lifted, allowing people to leave their council areas for non-essential purposes.
Up to six people from six households will be allowed to meet outdoors.
April 20
More school pupils expected to return to their places of education full time.
Nicola Sturgeon expected to give another coronavirus press briefing.
April 26
Scotland will move back to a levels system of restrictions, with the country entering level three.
Travel restrictions from Scotland to England and Wales could be lifted. Travel to Northern Ireland to dependent on decisions made by Stormont.
Other rules expected to be changed include:
- Remaining shops can reopen and mobile close contact services can resume
- Gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise
- Tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation to be restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering)
- Work in people’s homes to resume
- Non-essential childcare permitted
- Driving lessons and tests to resume
- Weddings and funerals for up to 50 (including wakes and receptions with no alcohol permitted)
- Libraries, museums, galleries re-open
- Outdoor hospitality to open till 10pm with alcohol permitted. Indoor hospitality permitted without alcohol and closing at 8pm
- Social mixing in indoor public places will be subject to current maximum of 4 people from up to 2 households
May 17
Scotland is expected to move down to level two on the Scottish Government’s alert system.
From this date, the following changes are anticipated to take place:
- Re-introducing in-home socialising for up to four people from up to two households
- Further re-opening of hospitality: bars , pubs, restaurants and cafes can stay open until 10.30pm indoors with alcohol permitted and two hour time-limited slots and until 10pm outdoors with alcohol permitted
- Adult outdoor contact sport and indoor group exercises can resume
- Cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls can re-open
- Small scale indoor and outdoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints (to be confirmed following stakeholder engagement)
- Colleges and universities can return to a more blended model of learning
- More in-person (face-to-face) support services can resume
- Non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors
June
It is expected that Scotland will move down to level one restrictions in early June, with a hope to move to level zero towards the end of the month.
Do you agree with the roadmap out of lockdown plan for Scotland? Have your say in the comments section.
