First Minister prepares to set out roadmap out of lockdown

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Photo: BBC Scotland. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will announce how Scotland will gradually ease lockdown restrictions this afternoon (Tuesday 23rd February).

The return of all children to schools, sports activities for young people and limited social interaction for adults will be the first priorities, the Scottish government has said.

The government has also said that restrictions will be eased until the country is back at a levels approach, which it had been until the end of December.

Shetland is currently under level three restrictions while mainland Scotland is under full lockdown.

While it had been hoped locally that the isles may have been able to move down a level sooner, the government has indicated that will not be the case.

It said that level four restrictions would be eased until national case rates were low enough for the entire country to move back to the levels system.

The roadmap will be “driven by data” rather than dates, according to the government.

But Ms Sturgeon is also likely to indicate “proposed phases” at which restrictions will be eased, at three-week intervals.