CHEERS AS ROUTE MAP UNVEILED
Key targets for lockdown easing revealed with next big changes to go ahead from this Monday
THE next big set of lockdown changes will start from Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. Scotland will move from the Level Four restrictions to Level Three, as had been announced as the expectation prior to yesterday.
It means changes for hospitality, gyms, shops, meeting people from other households and holiday accommodation.
The First Minister made the announcement and gave dates for further easing of lockdown in May and June.
She said: “The changes that come into force next week have been hard-earned by all of us. I know that many will be looking forward – quite rightly – to their first drink in a beer garden, to catching up with a friend in a cafe or to going on holiday somewhere in Scotland.
“But even as we enjoy those moments, we still need to be careful.
“We must remember the virus is more infectious now than it was when bars and cafes were last open, so we must still stick to the rules. However, we are hopeful of seeing sustained progress in the weeks and months ahead.”
The changes, from Monday, April 26, include:
•Cafes, pubs and restaurants can resume full outdoor service, subject to local licensing, and serve food indoors without alcohol until 8pm
•Takeaways to resume normal service, with physical distancing and face masks in premises
•No■-esse■tia• shops close-contact services such beauty salons can also reopen
•I■door attractions and galleries, museums and libraries can re-open and as
•No■-esse■tia• work inside people’s homes – such as painting, decorating or repairing – will be permitted, subject to mitigations
•No■-esse■tia• informal childcare will resume
•Drivi■g lessons and take place
•Gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise
•The attendance limit for funerals and weddings – and related events such as receptions – will increase to 50
•Adu•ts on the shielding list can return to the workplace, if they cannot work from home, while children who have been shielding can return to school.
She said that the plan if the data on cases continued to fall would be to relax even more restrictions on May 17 and then move down into levels two, one and zero in May and June.
Sturgeon said all of Scotland will move to Level Two on Monday, May 17, and from then people will be able to meet in small numbers in each other’s homes.
There will be further reopening of hospitality and outdoor contact sport for adults will resume on that date.
The intention is then to move to Level One on Monday, June 7, and Level Zero in late June.
Sturgeon added: “And then, as we go into the deeper part of the summer, to something much more like normality, over the course of July.
“So we are hopeful, very hopeful, of seeing sustained progress in the weeks and months ahead.”
People who want to travel to Scottish islands will need to take two tests before departure.
The first test should be taken three days before travel and the second on the day of departure.
Home testing kits will be available from today. tests can
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