Further opening of businesses and services in Scotland depends on keeping virus "firmly under control"

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has given a series of indicative dates for further easing of the coronavirus lockdown in Scotland.

Hairdressers, pubs, hospitality venues, playgrounds, museums and sport centres are among businesses and service set to reopen in the coming weeks – along with further changes allowing friends and family to meet more easily – but only if the downward trend in transmission of Covid-19 continues.

The planned changes outlined by the First Minister in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon would take Scotland through phase 2 of the route map out of lockdown and into phase 3.

Ms Sturgeon said that, despute the further easing proposed, people still had to exercise "good judgment" and abide by the rules as they stand.

And she added: "Our challenge, not an easy one, is to manage all of this change while keeping the virus firmly under control. If at any stage there appears to be a risk of its resurgence, our path out of lockdown will be halted and we may even have to go backwards.

"To avoid that, we must get as close as possible to elimination of the virus now, and build confidence in our ability to control it in future through surveillance, testing, contact tracing and, where necessary, targeted suppression measures."

Related article: Lockdown easing – dates you need to know

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