Scots face five-mile travel ban in Sturgeon’s exit plan

SCOTTISH people will not be able to travel more than five miles from home unless they are visiting family, under a lockdown exit plan unveiled by Nicola Sturgeon yesterday.

The First Minister’s four-stage route map for easing restrictions includes much harsher rules on car travel than have been implemented in England.

Scots will not be allowed to drive beyond their “local area” for leisure and exercise until the third phase, which will not be introduced until July 9 at the earliest.

Senior Scottish Government sources confirmed that an exception will be made for visiting family, although overnight visits are banned and people must stay socially distanced.

Schools will reopen on Aug 11, at the start of the next academic year in Scotland and two months after England, but pupils will only attend classes part-time.

Lessons could be held in leisure centres and libraries to increase classroom space and help social distancing.

Ms Sturgeon urged employers to help working parents by offering flexible hours, including the introduction of a four-day week. In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, she confirmed that the first phase will start on May 28 and the plan will be reviewed every three weeks, when she will decide whether the country is ready to move to the next stage.

Echoing Boris Johnson’s plea to Britons to use their common sense, she said Scots must “exercise judgment and responsibility” as the clear “Stay at Home” message is replaced by something “more nuanced and complex”.

The blueprint warned that Ms Sturgeon will not move to phase four until the virus has “ceased to be a significant issue”, either because a vaccine has been developed “and/or we have an effective treatment available”.

Scotland’s roadmap out of lockdown was published 10 days after Mr Johnson produced his three-stage plan for England, which eased restrictions from May 13, more than two weeks earlier than Ms Sturgeon’s timetable.

The first phase includes being able to sit or sunbathe in parks, meeting people outdoors from other households – subject to social distancing – and sports like golf and fishing.

Ms Sturgeon will review progress on June 18, before deciding whether to move to the second phase, which includes the reopening of small shops and outdoor markets.