First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sets out timetable for reopening of hospitality and shops and easing of travel restrictions; Dates for reopening of hairdressers, garden centres and libraries and gyms set out along with a return of sporting activities amid update on Covid-19 vaccination rollout; Business support plans outlined in briefing along with plan for minute's silence on anniversary of lockdown
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A DETAILED timetable for the anticipated easing of coronavirus restrictions ranging from a full return to school to the planned reopening of shops and resumption of travel has been set out today by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Stressing the "inescapable fact" that being able to deliver on the plans "is dependent on continued progress in suppressing the virus and rolling out vaccines", she also set out plans for the nation to be invited to share a minute's silence "to reflect on those we have lost and on the painful sacrifices that have been made by so many over the past year" on the first anniversary of lockdown next week.
Noting that in the last 24 hours a further seven deaths have been registered, bringing the total number of deaths, under that measure, to 7517, she said: "Care and caution in the face of this virus continues to be essential."
She outlined positive progress on the vaccination programme. This includes:
Virtually all over 65 year olds;
59 per cent of 60 to 64 year olds;
41 per cent of 55 to 59 year olds; and
34 per cent of 50 to 54 year olds.
As of this morning, 1,943,507 people in Scotland have received their first dose of the vaccine.
She said: "We can already see that it is having a significant impact on the number of deaths. According to National Records of Scotland, the number of Covid deaths in Scotland has more than halved in the past two weeks."
After the Easter break - which for some will be April 12 - it is hoped that all children will be back in school full-time.
She expects to lift the current ‘stay at home’ rule on that date.
Initially, ‘stay at home’ will be replaced by guidance to stay local – in other words, not to travel outside your own local authority area unless for an essential purpose.
People will continue to be able to meet up outdoors, including in private gardens, in groups of no more than four from two households.
And then from Monday April 5, contact sports for 12 to 17-year-olds can resume.
More students – particularly in further education - will be allowed to return to on-campus learning then, if all goes to plan.
Colleges will prioritise those students whose return is essential – including those who are most at risk of not completing their courses.
That includes those who are taking qualifications in construction, engineering, hairdressing, beauty and related courses.
The phased re-opening of non-essential retail is also expected on April 5.
Click and collect retail services will be permitted to reopen from that date, along with homeware stores, and car showrooms and forecourts.
Garden centres will also be able to reopen on April 5.
Ms Sturgeon said: "And last – but for some of us definitely not least – we expect hairdresser and barber salons to reopen for appointments on April 5."
In terms of the vaccination rollout, she said: "By the middle of April, supplies permitting - which is still a necessary caveat - we will have offered first doses of the vaccine to all nine priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
"Those nine groups include everyone over the age of 50 and all adults with particular underlying health conditions.
"They account for a significant majority of Scotland’s adult population – and, crucially, cover groups of the population that between them account for approximately 99% of all Covid-related deaths."
She added: "So reaching that milestone - and taking account of the fact that it takes a couple of weeks for protection from the vaccine to kick in - will give us confidence to ease restrictions much more significantly from April 26.
On that date, all parts of Scotland currently in level 4 will move down to a modified level 3.The island communities currently in level 3 will have the option to move at that stage to level 2.
From 26th April, restrictions on journeys within mainland Scotland will be lifted entirely.
It is hoped that restrictions on journeys between Scotland and other parts of the UK and the wider common travel area can also be lifted, if not on April 26, then as soon as possible thereafter.
She cautioned: "However, we need to keep this under review, as part of our efforts to reduce the risk of new cases being imported into Scotland and we will update the position during April.Reducing the risk of importing new cases – and new variants - is also directly relevant to the issue of international travel.
"We intend to discuss with the aviation sector later this week how and when non-essential travel to some international destinations may be possible again.Like the UK government, we are certain that this will not be achievable before 17 May. However, our view is that it may well not be possible for a further period after that.
"And, even when overseas travel does resume, it is very likely that a requirement for pre-departure and post-arrival testing will remain in place for some time to come."
From April 26, it is also hoped that all remaining retail premises can re-open.
All tourist accommodation will be able to re-open from that date too, subject to any wider restrictions that remain in place, for example, on hospitality.
Libraries, museums and galleries will also reopen from April 26.
Indoor gyms will reopen for individual exercise on that date too.
Work in people’s homes will resume from that date, as well as driving lessons.
And we expect that the limit on attendance at weddings, funerals and associated receptions will be raised to 50 people from 26 April.
But she added: "Unfortunately, given that the risk of transmission is greatest inside our own homes, where it is much more difficult to comply with mitigations like physical distancing, we cannot yet say if it will be possible to have people from other households visit us indoors from this date.
"However, given how important this is to all of us, we intend to keep this under ongoing review."
The hospitality sector will also begin to reopen from April 26.
From that date, cafés, restaurants and bars will be able to serve people outdoors – in groups of up to six from three households - until 10pm. Alcohol will be permitted, and there will be no requirement for food to be served.
She said: "We also hope, though this in particular depends on continued suppression of the virus, that there will be limited indoor opening of hospitality from 26 April too.This will be limited initially to the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks until 8pm, and for groups of up to four people from no more than two households.As was the case last year, venues will need to retain customers’ contact details for three weeks after their visit."
From 26th April, people on the shielding list can return to work; children and young people on the shielding list can return to school or nursery; and students on the shielding list can return to college or university.
The chief medical officer will write this week to everyone on the shielding list to provide more detailed advice.
On May 17, it is hoped that adult outdoor contact sports and indoor group exercises can resume.
It is also hoped that cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls will reopen from that date.
And that outdoor and indoor events - albeit on a small scale to begin with - will also re-start. Capacity limits will be confirmed with the events sector in the next few weeks.
Colleges and universities will return to a more blended model of learning from mid-May – meaning that more students can be on campus.
Further face-to-face support services will also resume – as will non-professional performance arts.
Finally, on 17th May, "we expect restrictions on outdoor social gatherings to ease further.
"And, if this has not proved possible before this date, we also expect that people will be able to meet up inside each other’s homes again – initially in groups of up to 4 people from no more than 2 households.
"Let me come back to that point because I know that the restriction on indoor meetings has been one of the hardest parts of lockdown for most of us to bear.Unfortunately, though, it is necessary and I note that the easing of this restriction is not expected before mid-May in England either.
"However, all of us yearn to meet with friends and loved ones indoors again, and I know this is especially important for those who live alone.So we will keep this under ongoing review and will seek to restore as much normality just as soon as it is safe to do so."
On business support, she said that in the past year "we have provided more than £3 billion of direct support to businesses in Scotland.
"And for the entirety of the next financial year, we will provide 100 per cent rates relief for retail, hospitality, leisure and aviation businesses.
"When I spoke in advance of the UK budget, I said that the strategic business framework, which supports closed businesses, would continue until June, even if some businesses were able to open before then.
"However, a number of businesses have asked us to instead adopt a model of restart grants as we emerge from lockdown. We have decided to follow this advice.
"So I can confirm that on March 22, recipients of support under the Strategic Business Framework Fund will receive a final four-week payment. There will be no new claims after that date.
"And then on 19th April, recipients will receive a combined final payment comprising a further two weeks closure support and a one off restart grant.For eligible retail businesses this will mean a payment on April 19 of up to £7500 and for eligible hospitality and leisure businesses, a payment of up to £19,500.
"This will provide support that is both more generous and also more flexible than previously envisaged.However, our hope and ambition is that from early June, all of Scotland will move to level 1 - which will allow for a further easing of restrictions.
"And then by the end of June, we hope that all of Scotland will move to at least level 0.
"Level 1 and even more so, level 0 will be a massive improvement on where we are now.
"But those levels still involve some restrictions and so we hope that we will be able to get beyond even that - we will be assessing the situation on an ongoing basis, with a view to restoring as much normality as possible.
"It is our fervent hope - and also our tentatively increasing expectation - that vaccination, continued and effective use of the test and protect system, and probably a continued compliance with precautions like good hand hygiene, will allow us to keep Covid under much greater control.
"And that this will allow us to enjoy many of the things that we took for granted before the pandemic – for example, normal family gatherings where we can hug our loved ones, sporting events, gigs and nightclubs.
"For me to set out a precise date for all of that right now would involve plucking it out of thin air - and I’d be doing it to make my life easier, not yours.
"I am not going to do that. But I do believe that over the coming weeks - as more and more adults are vaccinated - it will be possible to set a firmer date by which many of these normal things will be possible.And I am optimistic that this date will be over the summer."
She urged people to continue to follow hygiene guidance when out, adding: "By doing this over the last long months, we have protected each other and saved lives."
