Nicola Sturgeon will deliver a statement on lockdown today with Scots hoping to be given an idea of when restrictions can be eased.
Scotland has endured seven gruelling weeks of lockdown since Christmas with non-essential shops shut, almost all hospitality businesses closed and a ban on travelling outwith local council areas.
The First Minister is expected to say that schools can begin reopening to the youngest primary pupils from next week, with limited numbers of senior high school students also allowed to return to class.
But Scots will be hoping she can also provide some detail on when the toughest lockdown restrictions can expect to be eased.
The number of positive covid test results has been falling across the country in recent weeks, with the number of coronavirus patients in hospital also dropping.
Public health experts have however urged caution and warned that easing lockdown too quickly could cause infection rates to spike.
It comes as Scotland recorded no deaths with Covid-19 yesterday for the first time since January 18 – though figures are often lower at the beginning of the week as registration offices are closed at weekends.
A total of 559 positive tests were recorded since Sunday, bringing the total number since the start of the pandemic to 192,375.
The death toll remains at 6,715 under the daily measure.
The First Minister said yesterday levels of uptake of the vaccine had so far been “significantly beyond” the target of 80% set out in the deployment plan.
She said “pretty much everybody” living in care homes for older people had been given their first injection, with this also applying to “close to 100%” of the estimated number of people aged over 80 and living in the community.
