The reopening of Scotland's economy - including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and beauty salons - is expected to begin on April 26, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
Starting March 15, four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors. All primary school students and students from S4 to S6 can return to school. However, students in the first three years of high school are unlikely to return until after the Easter break.
Also, self-isolation restrictions at home will be lifted on April 5, if all goes according to plan.
The Scottish Government's strategic framework is "deliberately cautious" at this stage.
However, opposition parties said the statement "did not meet" expectations and lacked clarity on the "ultimate goal", while businessmen called for more clarification following the statement.
Prime Minister Sturgeon said Scotland's goal is to drop the restrictions altogether in the last week of April. "At that stage, we hope that all localities in the country that are currently at level four will be able to return to level three - possibly with some revision of the content of the levels."
The prime minister said that as of April 26, the government expects to see a "Gradual but significant reopening of the economy, including non-essential retail sales, hospitality and services such as gyms and beauty salons".
More details will be presented in mid-March, including the order in which parts of the economy will reopen.
More details will be presented in mid-March, including the order in which parts of the economy will reopen. The aim is for a "progressive relaxation" of level four restrictions at three-week intervals.
She hopes that in the next phase all students will return to school (including primary school students). Deputy Prime Minister John Swinney told Radio Scotland's Drivetime that it was not just about senior students, those studying for exams, and that the main goal is to see all students, regardless of cycle, back to school on this date, if the data will allow it.
Starting March 15, four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors. Also, people under the age of 18 will be allowed to resume outdoor activities, but keeping their social distance.
Restrictions on self-isolation at home will be lifted on April 5, if all goes according to plan.
The final phase of the return to school will take place starting with April 5, when the students will be at the beginning or in the middle of the Easter holiday.
Restrictions on self-isolation at home will also be lifted on April 5, if all goes according to plan. Six people from two households will be able to meet outdoors and the churches will be reopened.
The system of restrictions will be reintroduced from April 26, along with a "more substantial" reopening of society and the economy.
"It is important to emphasize that all this depends on the fact that we will continue to suppress the virus and we will continue to accept some compromises for a while, for example, when it comes to non-essential international travel."
If you plan to travel from Scotland to Romania, you must comply conditions for entry into Romania.
More details can be found on the official websites:
- England: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know;
- Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/;
- Wales: https://gov.wales/coronavirus;
- Nothern Ireland: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19