A final decision will be taken today on easing lockdown across Scotland's schools.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is taking advice and consulting government colleagues on a proposed phased return for younger pupils.
The Scottish Government wants to reopen schools to children in primary 1-3 from the 22nd.
The rules could also be lifted to let older children work towards assessments.
Yesterday, Sturgeon said recent data on the spread of coronavirus had been "encouraging".
She said: "I am very, very, very keen to go ahead with that if at all possible. I know the whole Cabinet is of that view."
The SNP leader also said she would consider whether it is possible to consider an "indicative" timetable for the next groups of pupils.
"All of the data, and you can hear it when I set it out every day, is going in the right direction," Sturgeon said at the last official briefing.
Sturgeon's optimistic view contrasted with warnings last Friday from national clinical director Jason Leitch who said progress on driving down covid had "stalled".
Yesterday, the First Minister confirmed a further 559 positive cases were detected in the previous 24 hours - taking the total to 192,275.
Of those cases, 123 were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 112 were in Lothian and 97 were in Lanarkshire.
A total of 1,428 people were being treated in hospital for the deadly virus while 102 were in intensive care.
