First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement on the move to phase two of Scotland’s lockdown lifting plan:

Thank you for the opportunity to report on the latest review of the Coronavirus lockdown regulations.

Firstly, I will summarise the progress we have made so far in tackling the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed Scotland is moving to the second phase of the strategy to lift the coronavirus lockdown

I’ll then set out the careful changes we intend to make to the rules and guidance over the next three weeks, and when the various changes will take effect.

And finally, I’ll give details of further work we have commissioned to inform future decision-making.

Let me start, though, with my usual report on the daily statistics.

In doing so, I thank our health and care workers – indeed all key workers – for the extraordinary work they are doing in these incredibly testing circumstances.

As at nine o’clock this morning, there have been 18,077 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 11 from yesterday.

A total of 929 patients are in hospital with Covid-19. That represents a total change of 36 from yesterday, including an increase in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 23 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of four since yesterday.

And unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, two deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,464.

Those numbers – together with the figures published by National Records of Scotland yesterday – make clear the human cost of this virus.

That human cost has been devastating – and it should serve as a serious warning against any complacency as we move into the next phase of fighting what is a dangerous, and often deadly, virus.

However, the sustained decline in the number of people dying also demonstrates the progress we have made.

Yesterday’s NRS data showed that the number of Covid deaths last week was less than one ninth of the peak level. The number of people in intensive care has fallen by more than 90 per cent since the peak. And hospital admissions – which at one stage were 200 a day – are down to single figures each day.

The R number is currently below one and has been stable at between 0.6 and 0.9 for the last three weeks. And we estimate that the number of people who could be infectious with coronavirus in Scotland as of last Friday was 2,900. Three weeks ago our estimate – which has since been revised – was 19,000.

The progress we have made so far is therefore clear and substantial, and it has been made possible by the efforts and enormous sacrifices that people across Scotland have made. I am hugely grateful for all of that.

Taking account of that progress and the other evidence we are required to assess, I am therefore very pleased to confirm that the Scottish Government has concluded that we can now move into the next phase of our exit from lockdown. I will set out specifically what that means in a moment.

However, we must still exercise care and caution.

Our progress so far is because of lockdown. The virus has not gone away.

So as we gradually remove the restrictions that have kept it under control, there is a very real risk that transmission could rise again. That is why – if we don’t want to go backwards – we must progress carefully.

And I know that, in many ways, that actually requires more patience now than it did previously, when the danger of the virus was more obvious.

As we start to feel that the virus is receding, there will be a growing desire to move back to normality more quickly.

And we will feel frustrated at times, if that journey seems too slow. That is true for individuals – and also, I know, for business. The impact of this crisis on businesses, large and small, is colossal and we all want the economy to re-open as quickly as possible.

But if – as I believe is the case – frustration, leading to a premature easing of too many restrictions, is our biggest risk right now, it is equally true that patience could reap our biggest rewards.

If we can suppress the virus more – get as close as possible to eliminating it now – then we give ourselves a better chance, not just of controlling future outbreaks or clusters but of doing so through more targeted measures, rather than general, blanket restrictions on our way of life.

The alternative – which would happen if we moved too quickly – is the virus continuing to circulate at a higher level of transmission. The measures that are then needed to stop it running out of control are more restrictive and have to be applied more generally and for longer.

So, difficult though I know it is, the prize for going a bit more carefully now is a recovery that is much more sustainable – and one that will, I hope, allow more normality to be restored to our everyday lives.

That will be important in every aspect of life – but particularly vital for children getting back to normal, full-time schooling.

So this is why, though we are moving to phase two today, we are still being cautious and we are not going to do everything at once. We will take a staged approach to avoid bearing all of the risk at the same time.

In deciding when to implement each measure we have tried to reach a reasonable order of priority, and also to think about the various interdependencies – about how a decision in one area affects life in other areas.

All of that said, I readily acknowledge how difficult this is. There is no perfect route out of lockdown. All approaches have risks. What we are trying to do is manage and mitigate those risks as far as we can.

Because of this we have decided that during phase two we will continue to ask people as far as possible to stay within or close to their local area.

Our ambition is to be in a position to lift this limit in phase three and in time for the proposed resumption of tourism from 15 July.

But at this stage, for leisure and recreation purposes we are asking people not to travel more than five miles or so from their home – though that does not apply to meeting family and friends. And, of course, home-working should still be the norm whenever possible.

Asking people to abide by this guidance gives us greater confidence in making other changes during phase two.

So I want to take some time now to set out the most important of those changes, in the order in which they will happen. Details of all the changes that will be made in phase two and the timing of them will be available on the Scottish Government website.

The only change which will take effect immediately from today is in our guidance for people who are shielding – those most at risk from Covid-19 who have been advised up until now to stay inside completely.

I indicated last week my hope that from today anyone who is shielding, unless you live in a nursing or residential care home, would be able to go outdoors for exercise – for example for a walk, wheel or cycle. I am pleased to confirm this change today.

So if you have been shielding, and you planned to take some outdoors exercise today, you can go ahead.

However, our clinical advisers have made a further assessment of the evidence and I am pleased to say they have given the go-ahead to some additional changes to the guidance. To provide some advance notice of this we have decided that these additional changes will apply from tomorrow.

From tomorrow, our advice will be that shielding people can also take part in non-contact outdoor activities – such as golf.

In addition, the advice from tomorrow will be that people who are shielding can meet outdoors with people from one other household – but in groups of no more than eight.

However, if you are shielding, you should continue to be extremely cautious. That means staying at least two metres away from other people at all times, even if you live with the person you’re out with. Do not go inside someone else’s house or allow someone from another household to go inside yours, even to use the toilet. And when you go outside, choose times and areas that are quiet. And wash your hands thoroughly as soon as you get back home.

I know that the requirement to stay indoors at all times, without meeting up with anyone, has been incredibly tough for shielding people. I hope that this change to our advice – by allowing not just outdoor exercise but limited outdoor meetings – can provide a real improvement to your quality of life without significantly increasing the risks you face.

We will, of course, provide further guidance before 31 July, when the current shielding period is due to end.

Let me turn now to advice for the general population.

We are also making some limited changes – which will take effect from tomorrow – to the rules on social interaction for those who are not being asked to shield.

These rules currently state that one household can meet up with just one other household. These meetings must be outdoors and should involve no more than eight people, maintaining strict physical distancing of two metres.

From tomorrow, people from one household can meet outdoors with people from up to two other households. You can meet these two households together or separately and it doesn’t always have to be the same households – but it should be no more than two at a time and no more than two in a day. And we are still advising no more than eight in any group.

We will also change the guidance so that you can, if necessary, go indoors to use the toilet if you are meeting in the garden of another household.

I hope that these changes will make family meetings a bit more practical.

Please, however, remember that meetings must still be outdoors at this stage. With the one exception I will outline shortly, we still judge that the risk of mixed household gatherings indoors is too high.

And if you do go inside to use the toilet, please avoid touching surfaces, and immediately and thoroughly clean those you do touch. By doing that you will avoid creating a possible bridge for the virus to travel from one household to another.

Finally, when we consider what changes to make we are always mindful of the wider harms that come from the restrictions in place to tackle Covid.

One of those harms is loneliness and isolation, particularly for older people living alone and lone parents.

So from tomorrow we will change advice to allow anyone who lives on their own – or only with children under 18 – to form an ‘extended household group’ with one other household.

Within an extended household group, people will be able to meet indoors without physical distancing and stay overnight – though only if they wish.

But they must continue to see any other households outdoors only and stay more than two metres apart from them.

No member of such an extended household group should form a similar arrangement with any other household. And an extended household must not include anyone who is shielding.

Also, if one member of an extended household group gets the virus, all of the group will have to isolate – whether or not they are living in the same property.

I would also encourage those who choose to form extended households to pay particular attention to hygiene measures – to reduce the risk that one household will bring the virus into another.

This extended household change is not open-ended – though we will consider if and to what extent we can expand it over the next few weeks – and so I know it will not immediately make a difference for everyone.

But it will, from tomorrow, allow a grandparent who lives on their own to form a group with another household in their family. It will allow a single parent and their children to join with another household for support. And it will allow a non-cohabiting couple, where at least one of them lives alone, to be reunited indoors without physical distancing. It will, I hope, help to ease some of the isolation which is one of the cruellest consequences of tackling this virus.

Now, inevitably there are complexities involved in these changes – and there will be many questions about the detail, so you will find more information on the Scottish Government website.

However, with the best will in the world we cannot provide precise answers for every bespoke situation. So, when in doubt, use your judgement and err on the side of caution.

And if you worry that something you are thinking of doing risks spreading the virus, please don’t do it.

The various changes I have just outlined are the only ones that will take effect before this weekend.

Further changes will then come into effect on Monday 22 June.

For example, the construction sector will be able to move to the next phase of its restart plan, and then move through the remaining phases subject to ongoing consultation with government.

Dentists will be able to re-open, initially for urgent care.

Professional sport can resume, although – since strict public health restrictions remain in place – this will only be behind closed doors.

And places of worship will reopen – but for individual prayer only, not communal worship.

I know that during this crisis many will have drawn strength and comfort from their faith. But I also know that people of all faiths are missing the ability to gather together. I want to acknowledge that, and also thank the priests, ministers, rabbis, imams and many others who have worked so hard to keep in touch with faith groups.

The nature of this virus and how it spreads means that it may still be some time before large religious gatherings are permitted. However, I hope that the reopening of places of worship for individual prayer will be welcomed and that it can provide an additional source of comfort for many.

These changes are the main ones that will take effect from Monday.

However, in 11 days’ time, from Monday 29 June, some further phase two changes will take effect.

From then some indoor workplaces that have so far opted to remain closed, in line with guidance – such as factories, labs and warehouses – can start to re-open, but subject to strict physical distancing, hygiene and health and safety guidance.

Non-essential offices and call centres should remain closed at this stage.

Businesses able to re-open should use the period between now and 29 June to ensure that all physical distancing and safety measures are in place and to contact their staff to put in place staggered work times, agree flexible working where possible for those with childcare issues, and ensure that staff have a safe means of getting to work.

From 29 June, outdoor markets will also be able to reopen, as will outdoor playgrounds and outdoor sports courts.

Outdoor businesses such as zoos and garden attractions can also reopen from that date – although initially, until we can hopefully lift this restriction for phase three, people should not travel more than around five miles to visit them. Where these places are ticketed, tickets should be bought in advance.

Restrictions on moving house will also be lifted on 29 June.

In addition, registration offices will reopen, but only for essential business. And marriages and civil partnerships will be permitted, but only outdoors at this stage and with limited numbers.

Let me turn now to non-essential retail. The retail sector is a vital part of our economy. It is also a large and complex sector, and we want to support it to get back to work safely.

We said in the route map that we hoped to allow small shops to re-open in phase two, and we will.

But by waiting a bit longer, until midway through this phase, we can go a bit further – though still with some limitations.

So from 29 June retail premises of all sizes can re-open, but only if they have outdoor entrances and exits. I am afraid that for the time being, indoor shopping centres will remain closed, except for access to essential shops such as supermarkets and pharmacists. However, indoor shopping centres should prepare to re-open in phase three as indicated in the route map.

For those shops that can re-open from 29 June, local authorities and retailers should use the period between now and then to ensure that plans for the responsible use of public space are in place – for example to manage queues, pedestrians and cyclists, ensure that unnecessary street furniture is removed, and that markings and guidance are in place to support strict physical distancing.

Shops must also ensure that appropriate physical distancing and hygiene measures are in place.

And of course, all of us as customers have a role to play. When shops do re-open I ask everyone to exercise patience, stick to the measures that are in place for your safety and at all times please respect retail staff who will be asking you to shop in a different way.

Finally, there are some changes – especially in relation to health and other public services – which have already begun and which will build up over the coming weeks.

There will be a more significant re-opening of health services, consistent with our NHS Mobilisation Plan. More GP services will be available, and GP practices will make more visits to shielded patients. The health service more generally will resume more of the services which were postponed in March.

And as I said earlier, dentists will re-open from this Monday. In addition, optometry practices will reopen for emergency and essential services from Monday 29th.

Nicola Sturgeon's phase two lockdown statement - in full