STURGEON’S BLUEPRINT FOR LIFTING LOCKDOWN

++ Families to be reunited for first time in two months ++ Golf courses, garden centres and recycling depots reopen ++

SCOTS will be allowed to meet up with family and friends again within two weeks.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday said she hopes to allow the first ‘concrete steps’ back to normality within a fortnight.

A ‘route map’ out of lockdown to be published on Thursday will set out how people will be able to meet up outdoors with those from another household from next month.

It paves the way for Scots to finally be reunited with relatives and for friends to meet up for the first time in two months. Other measures could allow for garden centres to reopen and some outdoor sports such as fishing, tennis and golf to resume, while recycling centres would reopen following concerns about a spike in fly-tipping.

In other key developments yesterday, the 56th day of lockdown:

Covid-19 testing will be massively ramped up across the entire UK,

with everyone over the age of five now able to have a test;

Loss or changes to the senses of taste and smell have been added to the list of symptoms of coronavirus;

Hopes for foreign holidays are in doubt after the Government said the vast majority of those arriving in the UK by air, rail or sea will have to self-isolate for two weeks;

Testing will finally be expanded to all care home staff in Scotland, even if they do not have Covid-19 symptoms;

Trade unions, care providers and health and infection experts pleaded for mass testing of all residents in care homes;

The Scottish Government was accused of creating a ‘veil of secrecy’ after failing to provide data on coronavirus cases, deaths and tests broken down by private or council-run care homes;

A senior MP said public confidence in the Scottish Government was ‘shattered’ by the ‘cover-up’ over cases relating to a Nike conference in Edinburgh.

Yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Within two weeks my hope is that we will be taking some concrete steps on the journey back to normality.

‘As I’ve said before, it won’t be normality as we knew it because the virus will not have gone away. But it will be a journey to a better balance, I hope, than the one we have today. As we take each step we must make sure that the ground beneath us is as solid as possible.

‘That’s why sticking with the lockdown restrictions a bit longer to suppress the virus more is so important, because that will mean we can start to take these steps with confidence that we have alternative means of effectively keeping it under control.’

The number of positive cases of coronavirus in Scotland increased by 57 yesterday, to 14,594, with the number of people in hospital rising by 119, to 1,427, while those in intensive care increased by four, to 63.

A further two Covid-19 deaths were registered in the previous 24 hours, taking the hospital death toll in Scotland to 2,105.

The mass expansion of testing to everyone over the age of five displaying symptoms was announced by the UK Government and each of the devolved governments. In Scotland, tests will be available at drive-in centres set up in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, as well as Perth and Inverness.

There will also be around a dozen mobile testing units which will travel to other parts of the country.

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The further expansion that we are announcing today will ensure that anyone with symptoms will be able to find out if they have the virus, and will therefore be able to know whether or not they should be isolating.

‘Today’s expansion is the result of co-operation between NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government and the UK Government. It will help more people to know if they have the virus and it will be helpful as we build towards our strategy of test, trace, isolate and support – something that will be especially important, as we start to emerge gradually from lockdown.’

Yesterday, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: ‘Increasing the numbers of people tested in Scotland is a key part of easing the lockdown restrictions and getting people back to work.

‘The UK Government is funding five drive-through and 13 mobile testing sites throughout Scotland to ensure testing capacity across the UK is maximised.

‘These will now be open for anyone over the age of five who has symptoms.

‘These tests will be processed at the “megalab” in Glasgow, operated by Glasgow University and funded by the UK Government, which forms a key part of our UKwide testing network.’

‘Getting people back to work’