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2 April 

Lifting the ‘Stay at Home’ requirement and replacing it with a ‘Stay Local’ message (retaining the current, local authority-based travel restrictions for at least a three-week period)

5 April

The Government will continue to monitor data. Assuming that all goes well, the next significant milestone for easing restrictions will be 5 April, when it is planned to ease a wider range of current restrictions in level 4 areas (some of these activities/settings are already permitted/open in Level 3 island communities) including:

• the resumption of outdoor contact sport for 12-17 year olds
• return of college students within the top three priority groups identified by Colleges Scotland as most likely not to complete this academic year (estimated as 29% of learners)
• reopening of non-essential ‘click and collect’ retail
• extending the list of retail permitted to include:
  ° garden centres (indoor and outdoor)
  ° key cutting shops ° mobility equipment shops
  ° baby equipment shops
  ° electrical repair shops
  ° hairdressers and barbers (with shopfronts – not mobile services), by appointment only
  ° homeware shops
  ° vehicle showrooms (appointment only) and forecourts

The prohibition of in-home socialising will continue to be kept under review at this date.

12/19 April, depending on term times

• all children back to school full-time

26 April

Subject to supply by mid-April, the Government plan to have offered the vaccine to priority vaccine groups 1-9, based on the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation advice for protecting the most vulnerable in our population.

Assuming the data allows it, the Government expect a more significant reopening of the economy and society from 26 April.

This will likely include the following easings (some of these activities/settings are already permitted/open in Level 3 island communities).

• extending outdoor socialising to permit up to 6 people from up to 3 households to gather
• allowing 12-17 year olds to meet outdoors in groups of 6 from up to 6 households
• travel within all of mainland Scotland permitted (subject to other restrictions that remain in place)
• remaining shops can reopen and mobile close contact services can resume
• gyms can reopen for individual exercise
• tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation to be restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering)
• work in people’s homes to resume
• driving lessons to resume
• weddings and funerals for up to 50 (including wakes and receptions with no alcohol permitted)
• libraries, museums, galleries re-open
• outdoor hospitality to open till 22:00 with alcohol permitted. Indoor hospitality permitted without alcohol and closing at 20:00
• social mixing in indoor public places will be subject to current maximum of 4 people from up to 2 households The prohibition of in-home socialising will continue to be kept under review at this date.

Travel 26 April (More detail)

The First Minister expects all parts of Scotland currently in level 4 to move down to a modified level 3.

The island communities currently in level 3 will have the option to move at that stage to level 2. The Government intends to discuss that with these communities over the next couple of weeks.

It is expected that from 26 April, restrictions on journeys within mainland Scotland will be lifted entirely. However, if restrictions on socialising and hospitality are relaxed more quickly and significantly on the islands, there may be a need to retain some restrictions on travel to and from the mainland – to protect island communities from the importation of new cases. However, rather than impose that decision now on our island communities, the Government intends to discuss it directly with them to determine what arrangements they consider will work best for their circumstances.

IThe Government hopes that restrictions on journeys between Scotland and other parts of the UK and the wider common travel area can also be lifted, if not on 26 April, then as soon as possible thereafter.

Further Progress

The changes starting on 26 April are significant. The Scottish Government will therefore monitor them carefully. For that reason we do not expect any further changes to be made before 17 May, three weeks later.

17 May

From 17 May The Scottish Government hope to introduce the following easings:

• re-introducing in-home socialising for up to 4 people from up to 2 households
• further re-opening of hospitality: bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can stay open until 22:30 indoors with alcohol permitted and 2 hour time-limited slots and until 22:00 outdoors with alcohol permitted
• adult outdoor contact sport and indoor group exercises can resume
• cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls can re-open subject to capacity constraints
• small scale indoor and outdoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints (to be confirmed following stakeholder engagement)
• colleges and universities can return to a more blended model of learning
• more in-person (face-to-face) support services can resume
• non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors.

It is hoped that all level 3 areas – or as many as possible – will move to level 2.

Travel Detail 17 May

The First Minister intends to discuss with the aviation sector later this week how and when non-essential travel to some international destinations may be possible again. Like the UK government, the Scottish Government are certain that this will not be achievable before 17 May. However, the Scottish Government view is that it may well not be possible for a further period after that.

When overseas travel does resume, it is very likely that a requirement for pre-departure and post-arrival testing will remain in place for some time to come.

Source: Scottish Government

We will publish corrections and official publications as they become available.

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