Nicola Sturgeon today confirmed that pubs and restaurants can reopen indoors from Monday – three weeks ahead of England.
The SNP leader declared that hospitality, shops and gyms can get back up and running next week, hailing the success of the vaccine rollout.
Fronting a Covid briefing amid the hard-fought Holyrood election campaign, she said Scotland will move from Level 4 to Level 3 of the five-tier restrictions.
It means customers will be able to eat and drink indoors – albeit with limits – well before it is allowed south of the border, where the loosening is due on May 17.
Ms Sturgeon declared last week that she was stepping up her timetable, with the move ramping up pressure on Boris Johnson, who has insisted he will not move faster than planned.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon (pictured campaigning in Edinburgh today) declared that hospitality, shops and gyms can get back up and running next week, hailing the success of the vaccine rollout
Ms Sturgeon declared last week that she was stepping up her timetable, with the move ramping up pressure on Boris Johnson (pictured enjoying his first post-lockdown pint yesterday), who has insisted he will not move faster than planned
Hospitality will need to close at 8pm indoors, with alcohol only allowed to be served outside, and people will be able to meet others for a meal or drink, with up to six people from two households allowed to socialise in a public place.
Updated guidance is being published on collecting customer contact details, requiring venues to take down contact details for all customers, not just the lead member of each group.
Ms Sturgeon said this ‘additional precaution’ was needed to help with contact tracing in the event of a Covid outbreak.
She also stressed that while people would be able to meet indoors in places such as cafes, it was not yet possible for them to meet others in private homes.
‘I know that can seem illogical, it can seem really difficult and unfair,’ Ms Sturgeon said.
But she said risks of transmitting the virus could be higher in people’s homes, where it is harder to enforce physical distancing and provide the necessary levels of ventilation.
Other changes include the resumption of driving lessons and tests.
Close contact services, such as beauty parlours, can also return.
Funerals and weddings – including post-funeral events and receptions – will be allowed to take place with up to 50 people and alcohol permitted.
Travel between Scotland, England and Wales will be permitted and tourist accommodation can welcome back visitors.
Ms Sturgeon told the briefing that two deaths from coronavirus and 178 positive tests have been recorded in the past 24 hours.
The continued decline in the number of cases, where average daily case numbers have now fallen by more than 90% since early January, means the country could relax restrictions, she said.
Ms Sturgeon said it was expected that all of Scotland would move to Level 2 on Monday May 17 – allowing people to meet in ‘small numbers’ in homes for the first time in many months.
She added that ‘if circumstances permit’ the intention is for Scotland to move to Level 1 restrictions from Monday June 7, before moving to Level 0 in ‘late June’.
The First Minister said that by the ‘deeper part of the summer’ she hoped ‘something much more like normality’ would be possible.
‘We are hopeful, very hopeful, of seeing sustained progress,’ she said.
Ms Sturgeon has indicated she wants a tougher line than Mr Johnson on foreign travel.
The UK government has suggested that non-essential trips abroad will be allowed to resume from May 17, with a ‘traffic light’ system based on countries’ case numbers and variant risk.
Ms Sturgeon stressed that international travel for ‘non-essential purposes’ was ‘not yet permitted’.
She accepted this was ‘difficult’ for tourism and aviation industries, as well as those with family and friends overseas.
‘We want to restore normality to international travel as quickly as possible,’ the First Minister said.
‘But we must be sensible as we do that, in light of the risks that we face and in light of the risks we see across many parts of the world.’
She added: ‘Until at least May 17, and possibly for a period after that, you should not leave the UK for non-essential purposes.’
Ms Sturgeon said this was important to help ‘protect’ the progress made in tackling coronavirus in UK.
Ms Sturgeon posed for selfies as she campaigned in South Queensferry today
