Coronavirus in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon set to reveal further Covid-19 lockdown easing dates at Scottish Parliament tomorrow

Nicola Sturgeon will reveal new dates for easing parts of Scotland’s lockdown in a statement to MSPs tomorrow.
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Speaking at Monday’s Scottish Government daily briefing, the First Minister said she wanted to provide “as much clarity as possible”, adding that she would give provisional dates for the relaxation of several restrictions.

She said the statement would include “the proposed date for the end of the “stay at home” rule, the reopening of shopping, and the reopening of outdoor - and then indoor - hospitality.”

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Ms Sturgeon is also likely to give detail on further relaxations to the rules about meeting up with other households.

The news comes despite the First Minister’s previous commitment to a lockdown easing guided by “data not dates.”

But Ms Sturgeon told reporters that a study published by Public Health Scotland last week had given ministers “greater confidence”.

Research conducted in partnership with the University of Glasgow showed that Covid-19 vaccination also “significantly reduced” the transmission of the virus.

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Ms Sturgeon said: “as more and more people receive first doses, we will have some scope to relax restrictions, albeit we will still need to do that carefully.

Nicola Sturgeon will reveal new dates for easing parts of Scotland’s lockdown in a statement to MSPs tomorrow. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)Nicola Sturgeon will reveal new dates for easing parts of Scotland’s lockdown in a statement to MSPs tomorrow. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Nicola Sturgeon will reveal new dates for easing parts of Scotland’s lockdown in a statement to MSPs tomorrow. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

“And that confidence is reinforced by the fact that over the past three weeks, as a result of the restrictions that we're all living under, we've been successful in suppressing the virus further.

She added that, as of Monday morning, 1,908,991 people have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, up 20,294 from yesterday, and 161,945 received their second dose.

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