Nicola Sturgeon won't be holding daily coronavirus briefings ahead of the Scottish election in May to avoid "abusing her position".
The First Minister is stepping back from the briefings and won't be making any statements on the pandemic at the Scottish Parliament, including the usual Tuesday lockdown review.
Why are Nicola Sturgeon's daily covid briefings stopping?
During the pre-election period, politicians are banned from using government resources in a way that could influence the election.
Nicola Sturgeon has indicated she will hand any briefings over to clinical advisers and said that the public should expect to see more of Professor Jason Leitch and Dr Gregor Smith, who are permanent Scottish Government officials.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirmed on Friday that covid briefings will only take place when there are announcements to make or changes to public health information. Lockdown reviews will only take place in the Scottish Parliament when there are significant changes to advice.
The first major change to current guidance will come into force on April 2 when Scotland will see the "Stay Home" rule replaced with “stay local” meaning people should not travel outside their local authority area unless for an essential purpose.
Ms Sturgeon said: "I remain First Minister and ministers remain ministers, so we have to be accountable during a health crisis and have to have the ability to communicate directly with the public.
"I am a democrat and I understand the import of level playing fields in elections and I will act appropriately.
"You will undoubtedly not have me doing daily briefings every day the way I have been doing them previously.
"But if there are big decisions that we are having to make during the election, period then I have a duty to communicate to the public what they are.
"It’s open to parliament to say that I should do that in parliament rather than at a daily briefing and those discussions will be open."
"I suspect you will be seeing even more of Greg and Jason – than you have already in the past year - in terms of a day to day basis.
"I fully understand the importance of the election and democratic process and it is not in my interest in any way to be seen as abusing the position of First Minister and I will absolutely not do that.”
