Proposed dates in Scotland's lockdown as Nicola Sturgeon announces further easing

Nicola Sturgeon has announced a series of provisional dates for the easing of lockdown restrictions in Scotland.

The First Minister told MSPs that the number of new cases of coronavirus has 'fallen sharply' since the latest stay at home lockdown was imposed from Boxing Day last year.

Scots have been living with strict rules on travel, non-essential business and meeting friends and family since then.

But Sturgeon today gave an indication as to when these measures will gradually ease off - with a hope that all of Scotland will go down to the lowest restriction level by the end of June.

Nicola Sturgeon said that the number of new coronavirus cases has fallen sharply since the lockdown was imposed in Scotland from Boxing Day last year (PA)

Stay at home restrictions are expected to be lifted from next month, while pubs and hairdressers are pencilled in for reopening within the coming weeks.

It is hoped that 400,000 Scots will receive their Covid vaccines this week, with the Government hoping to maintain that weekly figure for the weeks to come.

Here is a timetable of the proposed key dates of lockdown easing set out by the Scottish Government.

April 2

'Stay at home' will be replaced with a 'stay local' message (Getty Images)

Scotland’s stay at home requirement will be replaced with a ‘stay local’ message.

April 5

More college and university students expected to return (Getty Images)

• The resumption of outdoor contact sport for 12-17 year olds
• Return of college students within the top three priority groups identified by Colleges Scotland as most likely not to complete this academic year (estimated as 29% of learners)
• Reopening of non-essential ‘click and collect’ retail
• Extending the list of retail permitted to include: garden centres (indoor and outdoor); key cutting shops; mobility equipment shops; baby equipment shops, electrical repair shops; hairdressers and barbers - by appointment only (with shopfronts – not mobile services); homeware shops; vehicle showrooms (appointment only) and forecourts

Rules on indoor socialising will also be reviewed by the Government on this date.

April 12/19

All children will be back at schools full time (AFP via Getty Images)

All children will be back at school full time on either of these dates, depending on term times.

April 26

Indoor gyms can reopen for individual exercise (PA)

The Government hopes that the nine most vulnerable groups will have been offered their first dose of the coronavirus jab.

Further changes to lockdown restrictions proposed include:

• Extending outdoor socialising to permit up to six people from up to three households to gather
• Allowing 12-17 year olds to meet outdoors in groups of six from up to six households
• Travel within all of mainland Scotland permitted (subject to other restrictions that remain in place)
• Remaining shops can reopen and mobile close contact services can resume
• Gyms can reopen for individual exercise
• Tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation to be restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering)
• Work in people’s homes to resume
• Driving lessons to resume
• Weddings and funerals for up to 50 (including wakes and receptions with no alcohol permitted)
• Libraries, museums, galleries re-open
• Outdoor hospitality to open till 22:00 with alcohol permitted. Indoor hospitality permitted without alcohol and closing at 20:00
• Social mixing in indoor public places will be subject to current maximum of four people from up to two households The prohibition of in-home socialising will continue to be kept under review at this date.

May 17

Hospitality will begin to reopen with certain restrictions still in place (Getty Images)

From this date, the Scottish Government hope to introduce the following easing:

• Re-introducing in-home socialising for up to four people from up to two households
• Further re-opening of hospitality: bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can stay open until 10.30pm indoors with alcohol permitted and two hour time-limited slots and until 10pm outdoors with alcohol permitted
• Adult outdoor contact sport and indoor group exercises can resume
• Cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls can re-open
• Small scale indoor and outdoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints (to be confirmed following stakeholder engagement)
• Colleges and universities can return to a more blended model of learning
• More in-person (face-to-face) support services can resume
• Non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors

Start of June

Scottish Government aiming for Scotland to move to level one restrictions.

End of June

It is hoped that Scotland will move to level zero (the lowest form of coronavirus restrictions).