Scotland’s lockdown eased for outdoor hospitality and leisure travel
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Scotland’s lockdown is being eased for outdoor hospitality, self-catering accommodation and the distance people can travel further than five miles from their homes, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
From tomorrow, children aged 11 and under will be able to play outdoors, without physical distancing, in groups of up to eight and of no more than two other households.
Children aged 12 to 17 are asked to continue to physically distance but can meet in groups of up to eight outdoors and no more than two other households at a time. There will be no limit placed on the total number of households children can meet in one day, enabling siblings to meet separate groups or friends, or to meet groups in addition to those their parents or carers may take part in.
The five-mile limit for leisure travel will be lifted for most of the country from Friday, as will restrictions on self-contained self-catering accommodation.
The First Minister also confirmed that outdoor hospitality will be able to start trading from Monday, in line with indicative dates previously set out.
Following the introduction of mandatory face coverings on public transport, the measure will be extended to include retail settings from Friday, July 10, in line with expected changes to other lockdown measures on that date.
Ms Sturgeon also announced that the Scottish Government will retain two metres as the default physical distancing requirement for phase three but introduce exceptions to this requirement "if practicable mitigating measures can be implemented".
Settings and sectors considered appropriate for possible exceptions are public transport, outdoor hospitality, indoor hospitality and retail.
There will be no exemptions prior to the move to phase three.
Announcing the changes, the First Minister said: “As we move further out of lockdown, some rules will become more targeted and, as such, a bit more complicated. However, the basic foundation principles and hygiene measures remain as important as ever – each and every one of us must strike the right balance in order to keep the momentum of lifting lockdown going while protecting the progress made.
"What we are witnessing across the country is a sharp reminder just how highly infectious Covid -19 is, and how vital it is that we proceed with care and caution.
“That said, please take advantage of the fact that some rules are changing. Get out and about a bit more if you can and are able. Support your local businesses where possible. Shops, outdoor hospitality and self-catering accommodation are beginning to reopen, travel distance restrictions are being lifted, and we are actively exploring further measures we can introduce – such as face coverings and two-metre rule exemptions – that can get our economy safely back up and running even quicker."
Meanwhile, four days have now passed since the NHS Highland area last reported a positive test for Covid-19.
The overall number of confirmed cases of the virus in the health board region remained at 375 when the Scottish Government issued its daily update this afternoon.
The number of those who tested positive who were receiving hospital treatment also remained unchanged in the Highlands overnight, staying at six.
The figures came as the Scottish Government revealed that five positive tests for the virus were recorded in the nation in the past 24 hours.
One further death was reported, taking the overall number of fatalities among people who tested positive for the virus to 2487.
NHS Highland, Tayside, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles all reported no new positive tests since yesterday.
NHS Grampian reported two of Scotland's five new diagnoses. Grampian has now recorded 1423 positive tests since the start of the pandemic.
However, NHS Grampian's number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients fell by two to 43.
Last night 432 people were being treated in the nation's hospitals for confirmed Covid-19 – down slightly from the previous day's 439.
