Outdoor meeting restrictions will be eased in Perth and Kinross from this week.
Adults aged 18 and over - who have only been allow meetings of two people from two different households outdoors - can now meet in groups of four from two households from this Friday (March 12).
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The restrictions have also been expanded to allow people to meet for "social and recreational" purposes, not just for essential exercise.
People will also be allowed to meet in private gardens, with allowances to enter another household only in order to access a back garden or to use the bathroom.
Teenagers aged between 12-17 will also see restrictions eased from Friday, which will allow four individuals from four different households to meet up in private gardens or in outdoor public spaces.
Also from Friday outdoor non-contact sports and organised exercise groups will be able to get underway again in gatherings of no more than 15 adults.
From Friday, March 26 indoor communal worship can begin again provided the facility has enough space to accommodate two metre physical distancing rules.
This is in time for Passover, Easter, Ramadan and Vaisakhi.
In addition, she confirms the limit on attendance at communal services will be increased from 20 to 50.
Current travel restrictions will remain in place for now but will be reviewed later this month.
The First Minister announced the change in her statement to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament earlier this afternoon (March 9) and said the "minor but important" changes will help residents' "general wellbeing and quality of life".
Speaking this afternoon she said: "The figures are still higher than we would like but not as high as they were a few weeks ago.
"[We are seeing] a positive trend.
"There is also great progress being made with the vaccination programme.
"But caution is still essential at this stage. No vaccine will provide absolute protection for more vulnerable residents.
"We need to show caution of new variants coming in to the country.
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"Things are getting better with a significant fall in deaths and the number of cases over the past few weeks.
"The vaccine programme is beyond our initial expectations. There is hope balanced by caution."
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