Sturgeon warns Covid-19 'has not gone away' as she sets out next steps in easing lockdown
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Nicola Sturgeon issued a reminder that Covid-19 may be in retreat "but it hasn’t gone away" as she outlined the next steps in the easing of lockdown.
Travel within Scotland for outdoor socialising, recreation and exercise will be allowed from this Friday. People must continue to "stay local" for other purposes such as non-essential shopping, while public transport capacity will continue to be limited.
Outdoor meetings in groups of up to six adults from up to six households will also be allowed from Friday, with under-12s not counting towards this limit. Socialising in homes is still not permitted.
The easing of restrictions has been brought forward as data shows continued progress on vaccination and suppression of the virus.
The First Minister said on Tuesday that the improving picture "does not allow us to throw caution to the wind but it does give us a bit of limited headroom".
Ms Sturgeon said people should take care to plan ahead with journeys and follow the Scottish Government's FACTS advice when out and about to protect against a resurgence of the virus.
Depending on the data, the whole of Scotland, including all island communities, will then be in level three from Monday, April 26.
This will mean:
- Non-essential travel between Scotland, England and Wales will be permitted, and tourist accommodation in Scotland can reopen subject to socialising rules
- Shops will be able to fully reopen with precautions including physical distancing requirements, masks and hand sanitiser in place
- Gyms and indoor sports facilities, including swimming pools, will reopen for individual exercise, with group activities permitted for under-18s, and all organised outdoor activity can resume except adult contact sport
- Limits on attendance at life events including weddings, civil partnerships, funerals and receptions for those will increase to 50, with alcohol permitted
- Pubs, cafés and restaurants will reopen outdoors for groups of up to six people from up to six households with alcohol in line with local licensing laws, and indoors for groups of up to six people from up to two households without alcohol until 8pm.
- Takeaways will be able to resume normal service, with physical distancing and masks in premises
- Mobile close-contact services such as hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons can resume
- Non-essential work in other people’s homes will resume
Ms Sturgeon said: “We have made significant progress in reducing the number of new Covid cases in Scotland, partly due to the success of the vaccination programme but also because so many people have stuck so well to the rules. Daily cases are at the lowest level since September, and have declined more than 85 per cent since early January.
“After consulting with island communities we have decided to align islands with the rest of Scotland for a period so that travel, and therefore parts of the economy that so many islanders rely on, can operate more normally from April 26. Let me reassure those who would have preferred to see the islands move to level two at the end of April that we do expect at least a move to level two to happen on May 17.
“More generally, we currently expect the whole country to move to at least level two on May 17, to level one in early June and to level zero in late June.
“Reaching level zero is not the extent of our ambitions, and later on in the summer, as the number of people who have been vaccinated increases further, we hope that a level of normality well beyond level zero will become possible.
“We have always said we will keep plans under review and accelerate the lifting of restrictions if possible. The improved data does not allow us to throw caution to the wind – not if we are sensible – but it does give us a bit of limited headroom.
“So from the end of this week, you will be able to meet up with family and friends who live in different parts of the country. Many of those reunions will be long awaited and much anticipated.
"Please do remember that meetings at this stage must still be outdoors – you cannot socialise in people’s homes – and remember, due to physical distancing, public transport capacity remains relatively limited.
“Covid is in retreat in Scotland but it hasn’t gone away – it will come back if we allow it. So we must still exercise care and caution, continue to stick to the rules that are in place, work from home if you can – and, when you do leave the house, remember FACTS.”
Further reviews will take place to consider the rest of the Common Travel Area (CTA), including for Northern Ireland, ahead of April 26 which will take into account the outcome of this week's review of restrictions there. Temporary travel restrictions may still be necessary beyond April 26 to and from targeted places with high rates of Covid-19, either in Scotland or in other parts of the CTA, to protect against importation of the virus.
