Lockdown eases just a touch
Lanarkshire residents will be able to meet in larger groups for outdoor gatherings from this Friday (March 12).
Lockdown rules will be eased to allow four people from two households to meet outdoors.
This will allow for social and recreational meetings and not just for exercise.
Teenagers will be free to meet in groups of four with no number of household restrictions, meaning 12- to 17-yearolds can meet socially outdoors from four different households.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPS:“WE realise that meeting up even outdoors even in Scotland can be hugely beneficial for our wellbeing.
“We will make clear in the guidance that this will allow for social and recreational purposes as well as for exercise.
“Meeting will be available in any outdoor space including private gardens but please do stick to the new rules.
“Gatherings must be a maximum of two households and you should only go indoors if that is essential in order to reach a back garden or use a toilet. For now, please stay as close to home as possible. We hope to be in a position to relax at least to some extent travel restrictions in Scotland in the weeks ahead but our advice is that it will not be safe to do so quite yet.”
Also announced today was the return of outdoor non-contact sport and group exercise for all adults as of Friday. This will be permitted in a maximum group of 15.
This change will also allow flexibility to travel rules to ensure children are not prevented from attending outdoor sport if their club is slightly outside their local authority area.
The First Minister added:“for young people aged 12 to 17 we want to be even more flexible to enable more interaction with friends. So for 12- to 17-year-olds outdoor meetings will also be limited to a maximum of four people but the two household limit won’t apply.
“That means four friends from four different families will be able to get together outdoors and this will hopefully allow young people to see more of their friends than is currently the case.”
Further easing of restrictions will allow places of worship to reopen from March 26 and will allow communal worship to take place with up to 50 people, providing that such places have suitable space to safely physical distance during service.