Covid travel and meeting restrictions have eased in Scotland
Video report by Clare McNeil
People in Scotland are now able to travel anywhere in the country for recreation and to meet family and friends outdoors. As of today, six adults from up to six households can meet.
The First Minister announced the easing of restrictions on April 13, the day after outdoor dining areas and beer gardens in England were allowed to reopen as part of the Government's road map out of lockdown.
Nicola Sturgeon said "significant progress" has been made in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases in Scotland.
Cross-border travel and hospitality
The further easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland on April 26 is still expected to go ahead including non-essential cross-border travel between Scotland and England.
The First Minister said, “We are now extremely confident that those parts of the country currently in level four will move to level three on April 26, that’s now less that two weeks away.
“That means, amongst other things, that on that day shops will fully reopen, pubs, cafes and restaurants will also be able to fully open outdoors on April 26 and will be able to open indoors on that date, but on a restricted basis.”
Commenting on the Scottish Government announcement on the easing of lockdown restrictions, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said, "Scotland's hospitality sector is on its knees and that is compounded by seeing equivalent businesses across the border reopening sooner. Every day that doors stay closed, more jobs are lost.
"This positive direction of travel is possible thanks to the immense sacrifices people continue to make but the game-changer is the UK's extraordinary vaccine programme."
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the changes were a "welcome announcement".
He said, "We need to ensure that this lockdown is our last. We need to continue, and improve the pace of, the vaccine roll out and ensure the testing and tracing infrastructure is in place to support a return to normal."