Scottish Government to give 'clarity' to those shielding from coronavirus as it stresses measures to ease restrictions in England do not apply north of the border
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Scotland's health secretary Jeane Freeman has told people in the shielded category "we have not forgotten you".
From tomorrow some people who have been shielding in England – instructed not to leave the house at all – will be able to go outdoors again.
That easing does not apply in Scotland.
At today's Scottish Government briefing health secretary Jeane Freeman said: "For the last three months, more than any other group of people the restrictions we have asked people in the shielded group to follow have been incredibly difficult and we also know it is tough for you to see restrictions being eased for those less at risk, and want clarity for when you can start to lead less restricted lives.
"We will provide you with that information over the course of the next few weeks.
"We have not forgotten you, but I want to stress that the changes announced yesterday by the UK government are for England only – they don't apply to you.
"We will try as far as we can to move away from a blanket approach that requires all of you to stay at home all of the time to one that reflects the latest clinical advice and your own particular circumstances."
She said that this could see different advice being given to different clinical groups within the shielded category, which numbers some 120,000 people in Scotland.
Also at today's briefing Ms Freeman announced details of a new framework document published by the Scottish Government setting out the principles for "safely and gradually" resuming health services suspended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Starting with the resumption of services whose absence is "clearly having a detrimental impact" on people's lives, she said there was also a need to ensure the NHS retained capacity to deal with any surge on coronavirus cases.
"I know this weekend there have been many long-awaited meetings taking place in the sunshine that I know will have brought joy to many," she said.
"But I can't emphasise enough how much we need you to stick to the rules set out.
"The central advice remains 'Stay at home' – that is the best way to stop the spread of this virus."
She added: "Fundamentally, life may feel a little less restricted, but it should not feel normal."
National clinical director Professor Jason Leitch made the point that, while the country is now in phase one of the government's four-phase plan to move out of lockdown, phases could move backwards as well as forawrds and everything depends on keeping the rate of infection down as much as possible.
