Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that Scots who have been double-jabbed won't have to self-isolate if they are coming back from an amber list country.
The First Minister made the announcement during a Scottish Government statement on lockdown across the country.
Sturgeon said: "From next Monday, self-isolation will no longer be required for people arriving from countries on the amber list, provided they are fully vaccinated through a UK vaccination programme and take a PCR test on the second day after arrival.
"We will continue to take a precautionary approach to the inclusion of countries on the amber list.
"And, notwithstanding this change, we continue to advise against non-essential overseas travel at this time.
"For the avoidance of doubt, let me be clear that anyone testing positive for, or experiencing symptoms of, Covid will still require to isolate for ten days.
"The decisions I am setting out today show that – despite the impact of Delta – vaccination is allowing us to continue easing restrictions, albeit cautiously."
Sturgeon also said the need to self-isolate for a close contact of a Covid-19 case will be dropped when Scotland moves beyond Level 0 on August 9.
The First Minister said ministers intended to remove the requirement as long as the contact has been double-vaccinated and produces a negative PCR test.
But Sturgeon added that she has instructed education advisers to investigate whether the self-isolation requirement for school pupils can be removed and what has to be done to do so.
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A solution to the high number of pupils having to self-isolate when they come in contact with a positive case would be found before the school term begins in late August, the First Minister said.
While the dangers of long covid remained unknown the First Minister stressed young people could not be treated "like an experiment" if they were exposed to the virus.
She said: “Many people, including young people who get the virus but do not need hospital care, will still suffer long covid.
"Experts still don’t understand this but we do know that it is causing misery for many. It is one of the main reasons that, in my view, we cannot be complacent about young people getting this virus.
“To say that it just doesn’t matter when we don’t yet fully understand what the long term consequences might be for some young people would risk, treating them as an experiment and it won’t surprise anybody to hear that I don’t think we should do that.”
The First Minister also said that from next Monday self-isolation will no longer be required for people arriving from countries on the amber list.
This is provided they are fully vaccinated through a UK vaccination programme and take a PCR test on the second day after arrival.
She added: "We will continue to take a precautionary approach to the inclusion of countries on the amber list."
