First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed the Scottish Government's strategy for gradually lifting lockdown today, which will eventually see the 'stay at home' message replaced.
On the basis that progress in suppressing the virus and vaccinating key groups remains on track, the stay at home message is to be lifted after the next phase of school returns, scheduled to take place on March 15.
As the stay at home restrictions are lifted, final school returns will take place.
Nicola Sturgeon said we are expected to move fully back to a level system from the last week in April, and all parts of the country in level four will move back to level three.
This means that communal worship could restart in limited numbers mindful of the timing of major religious festivals. This phase would also see the re-opening of retail, starting with an extension of the definition of essential retail and the removal of restrictions on click-and collect
There is likely to be a gap of at least three weeks between each easing of restrictions to assess the impact of changes, and to check that it is safe to proceed further using the six conditions for safe easing set out by the World Health Organisation.
Ms Sturgeon added: "I am as confident as I can be that the indicative, staged, timetable that I have set out today - from now, until late April when the economy will start to substantially re-open - is a reasonable one."
