Scotland’s ease of lockdown restrictions announced

Nicola Sturgeon has just announced plans to ease Scotland out of its lockdown restrictions.

Priority will be placed on the return of face-to-face education and sport activities for young people, and Scotland’s economy including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and hairdressers, which are expected to open in the last week of April.

This follows Boris Johnson’s announcement yesterday that shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality in England would re-open on the 12th April if conditions were met to ease lockdown.

Sturgeon stated all decisions will be driven by data rather than dates, so that the country’s gradual reemergence from lockdown will be phased, with at last three weeks between each phase.

It is hoped that from the 15th March four people from two households will be allowed to meet up outdoors, and primary and school pupils may be returning back to school at this date.

The stay at home restrictions will be lifted on the 5th April, if conditions allow. The current level four restrictions will be eased, before moving back into a geographically variable system.