First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 'optimistic' over next stage of easing restrictions in 10 days if lockdown rules obeyed
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that phase two of easing the lockdown could begin in 10 days’ time if everyone obeys the current lockdown rules.
Scotland has recorded no new coronavirus deaths for a second day running.
At today's Scottish Government briefing, Ms Sturgeon said she had “longed” for the moment when she could announce no new deaths.
Although she warned more are expected, she also said she was “optimistic” that at least some parts of phase two of the plan to move out of lockdown could be implemented soon.
She also said that those who are shielding, other than those in a nursing or care home, will be able to start going outside for exercise from June 18 though they are expected to be required to remain apart from other people until at least July 31.
Ms Sturgeon said: “This is the second day in a row that no deaths have been registered in the preceding 24 hours.
"This is obviously very encouraging. I can't tell you how much I've longed to report such a development and I know all of you will have longed to hear that.
“But even so we must still exercise caution. We know from previous weeks that there tends to be fewer deaths registered at weekends, so it is still highly likely that more Covid-19 deaths will be recorded in the days ahead.
“Today, I want to convey a special message, and it is a message very much from my heart to everybody who is watching, I want to take a moment again to thank you for the sacrifices you have made in recent weeks.
“These are times in our lives that we don’t get back and the experience, worry and the loneliness of these weeks will live with all of us forever.
"That's true for everyone but it is, and will continue to be, especially so for those who are in the shielding category.
“There are no words that will adequately express the sorrow I feel for all that you have gone through, or the gratitude I feel for the way that you have borne this.
“I also know that as you listen to me report statistics that are now going in a positive direction you will be asking if these sacrifices remain necessary and as you witness some people, even just a minority, not abiding by the rules I suspect you may also be asking ‘why should I bother?’
“But it has brought us to where we are today, with this virus in retreat but not gone and still posing a real risk especially to the most clinically vulnerable and that's the key point, I guess, I want to make to you today at this point.
“This is such a crucial juncture in our battle against this virus, we will either keep going, keep beating it back as we are now or we will give it the chance to roar back with a vengeance – we must, must do the former.
“If we break the chains of transmission even more and drive down the number of new cases to a lower base the safer it will then be to more meaningfully ease the restrictions and speed up our journey back to some normality.
“And if we do keep making the progress we have in the last few weeks I am optimistic that 10 days from now, at the next formal review, we will be able to move, at least in part, into the next phase of a route map out of lockdown with more individual freedom restored and more businesses able to open up and operate again.
“But that depends on all of us, it depends on each and every one of us. So please, please stick with it for now. Every day that we do does bring us closer to getting back to a form of normality.”
Related: First Minister repeats face covering call in new lockdown plea
