First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outlines routemap for easing of lockdown in Scotland
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The First Minister has given indicative dates for ending lockdown measures across Scotland.
She presented three dates, April 5, April 26 and May 17 as staging points in the easing of restrictions.
She said: "Brighter days are indeed ahead of us.
"As of now we are recording on average 570 Covid cases per day.
"Cases have fallen sharply as we were recording more than 1000 in January and just two weeks ago over 800.
"The 570 on average is up slightly from 490 the week before, it is not the direction of travel we want to see and we have no room for complacency.
"What is positive is the progress of the vaccination programme 1,943,507 have received their first dose, more than 40 per cent of the adult population.
"It is not just the scale but the impact it is having - it is reducing the number of deaths and the vaccine also reduces transmission.
"This gives us greater confidence that we could have had previously and gives us the ability to have a firmer timeline for reducing restrictions."
She continued: "As of early April, stay at home will be lifted on April 2, but will be limited to the stay local message for three weeks.
"People can continue to meet outdoors.
"From Monday, April 5 contact sports for 12-17 year old's can resume and more students in further education will return to campus.
"Priority is for those most at risk of not completing courses especially with practical elements.
"We will also see the reopening of some non- essential retail, click and collect services along with homewear, garden centres and car showrooms.
"Hairdressers will also open again on April 5.
"These I hope will make a difference to people in a number of different ways.
"But this is the maximum we can do just now.
She said: "By mid-April we will have offered first doses of the vaccine to all nine priority groups (supplies allowing).
"They account for a significant majority of the population and 99 per cent of the groups where Covid deaths have been reported."
"From April 26 we hope to see Level 4 areas move down to a modified Level 3 and discussions will take place for Island communities.
"Restrictions on mainland travel will be removed from April 26 but restrictions remain on Island travel, but this will be under discussion.
"Wider common travel in UK will resume if not on, then close to April 26 to reduce cases being imported into Scotland.
"All remaining retail, tourist accommodation, museums galleries, indoor gyms, driving lessons and limits on weddings will be increased to 50 on this date as well.
"From that date outdoor social eased further with six people from three households outdoors with no mainland travel restriction.
"As transmission is greatest indoor, we cannot yet say about indoor visiting, this is under ongoing review.
"Hospitality can also start a limited opening from April 26.
"Cafés restaurants and bars can serve outdoors in groups of six from three households up to 10pm including alcohol with no food.
"We are also looking at them serving food and non-alcohol up to 8pm for eight people from two households and contact details will be retained.
"People on the shielding list can return to work and students can return to school and college."
On the last dates she explained: "We do not see any further changes before May 17 – we hope that all Level 3 will move to Level 2 and indoor hospitality can return indoors with some restrictions.
"Also adult outdoor contact sports and indoor group exercise can restart.
"We would also hope that cinemas and bingo halls reopen form that date and some indoor small events can restart.
"Finally outdoor social will ease further and people will be able to meet up indoor in small numbers.
"It is necessary for this to continue and this is important and will be under ongoing review."
The timetable:
April 2
Lifting the ‘Stay at Home’ requirement and replacing it with a ‘Stay Local’ message (retaining the current, local authority-based travel restrictions for at least a three-week period)
April 5
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 per cent 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 (with shopfronts – not mobile services), by appointment only, homeware shops, vehicle showrooms (appointment only) and forecourts
April 12-19 depending on term times
All children back to school full-time
April 26
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 10pm with alcohol permitted. Indoor hospitality permitted without alcohol and closing at 8pm.
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
Reintroducing 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.
