First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has today announced dates for the next stages of easing lockdown.
The current ‘Stay at Home’ rule will hopefully be lifted on 2 April, replaced with a ‘stay local’ message.
In her statements, the First Minister announced hairdressers, click and collect services, homeware stores, and car showrooms will reopen from 5 April.
Other changes on the 5th of April will include: sports for 12-17-year-olds are expected to resume, and more students in further education will be allowed to return to on-campus learning.
Sturgeon said: “These changes will, I hope, make a real difference,”.
The First Minister then announced non-essential retail, shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and gyms should be allowed to open from 26 April.
Along with travel restrictions being eased on this date, areas of Scotland which are in level four will be expected to move to level three.
It is also hoped restrictions between Scotland and the rest of the UK could be lifted – if not on April 26, it would be as soon as possible after that date.
Nicola Sturgeon also said that there are “brighter days are ahead of us”.
The aim is to have Scotland on the lowest level of coronavirus restrictions by the end of June.
Over the past 24 hours there have been 597 newly detected cases of COVID-19 in Scotland.
