SUN SHINES AS TRAVEL BAN IS EASED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Scots set to flock to the hills and beaches as restrictions on meeting outside relaxed
SOME coronavirus travel restrictions have been removed in Scotland and more people are now able to meet up outdoors. The latest stage in lockdown easing was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday.
She said the continued decline in virus cases meant the restrictions can be eased earlier than planned.
From yesterday, Scots can now travel across local authority boundaries for outdoor socialising, recreation and exercise.
But they must follow the “stay local” order for other purposes such as non-essential shopping, and travel to some islands is not allowed.
Rules on gatherings have also been relaxed, with groups of up to six adults from six households now allowed to meet outdoors.
Children under 12 do not count towards the limit.
As the changes took effect, the latest Scottish Government coronavirus figures showed three deaths of Covid patients and 204 positive tests were recorded in the past 24 hours.
Friday’s data brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 7,640.
The daily test positivity rate is 1.4%, up from 1.2% on Thursday.
There are now 109 people in hospital in Scotland confirmed to have the virus, down six in 24 hours, and of these 18 patients are in intensive care – up two.
A total of 2,722,084 people north of the border have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 688,761 have had their second.
Among those heading further afield on Friday was Andrew McVie, 27, from Glasgow, who said he was “super excited” to be visiting Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae for a cycling day trip for the first time in more than two years.
The clerical assistant said he has enjoyed returning to the scenic island – a short ferry ride from Largs on the North Ayrshire coast – after visiting as a child with his mother. He said: “I try and go with a bike when I’m free on weekends and day trips, I really enjoy it and it’s dead handy to get to and dead easy to cycle around, you can do it in about two hours if you don’t stop.
“It’s why a lot of people like it, there’s great scenery and it’s a really nice, friendly, welcoming place and it’s a beautiful day.
“I’ve missed it so much not being able to go because of the travel restrictions, but I’ll still be taking precautions.
“And tomorrow I’m going through to Edinburgh with a couple of friends for the first time in over a year which will be good.”
The latest lockdown easing comes after barbers and hairdressers opened on April 5 and ahead of a more substantial unlocking of the country on April 26 leading to Scotland being in Level 0 in June.