RESTRICTIONS on everyday life could continue into next year and gatherings in pubs and other venues are likely to be banned or limited "for some time to come".

The Scottish Government also warned the coronavirus lockdown may be repeatedly eased and reimposed "with little notice" until a vaccine or treatment is found.

Outlining the "new normal" facing Scots in the months ahead, officials said the impact on poverty and inequality "may be profound".

Speaking yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon insisted a "return to normal as we knew it is not on the cards in the near future".

She said: "What we will be seeking to do is find a new normal – a way of living alongside this virus, but in a form that keeps it under control and stops it taking the toll that we know it can do.

"Social distancing and limiting our contacts with others will be a fact of life for a long time to come – certainly until treatments and ultimately a vaccine offer different solutions.

"That means possibly for the rest of this year and maybe even beyond."

Ms Sturgeon said classrooms may have to be redesigned to allow social distancing at schools.

Some pupils could go to school one week, while others go the next, the First Minister suggested.

Elsewhere, she said it is likely people will be advised to use face coverings – such as scarves or bandanas – in some "very limited circumstances".

She said Christmas "may happen slightly differently" this year.

It came as the Scottish Government published a new document outlining the framework Scotland will use for exiting the lockdown.

A Framework for Decision Making says ministers are "likely to require that gathering in groups, for example in pubs or at public events, is banned or restricted for some time to come".

It adds: "And good hand hygiene and cough hygiene must become fundamental habits. We cannot afford to have exceptions.

"Each one of us will have to adapt to this as the new normal, at least until we are sure that we can be more protected by a vaccine or treatment.

"If, after easing any restrictions, the evidence tells us we are unable to contain the transmission of the virus then we will have to re-impose them, possibly returning to lockdown with little notice.

"While we will do our best to avoid this, it is possible that such a cycle may happen more than once until we reach a point when we have in place an effective vaccine."

The document warns easing restrictions will not mean returning to how things were before the virus.

It says ministers will take "distinctive decisions for Scotland if the evidence tells us that is necessary".

Options for varying the restrictions include full and partial lifting of existing measures.

Variations by geography, by sector, or by specific groups of the population could also be introduced.

Ms Sturgeon said the number of people in Scotland who have died after testing positive for the virus is 1,120, up by 58 from 1,062 on Wednesday. A total of 9,409 people have now tested positive, up by 371 from 9,038 the day before.

The number of people in intensive care and hospital in Scotland has fallen in the past 24 hours, by seven to 148 and by 28 to 1,776 respectively, which she said is cause for "real optimism".

Her comments come as experts from Oxford University's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine said their analysis of Covid-19 data in Scotland suggests the peak of the virus may have passed.

Professor Carl Heneghan called on the Scottish Government to begin opening up the economy as soon as possible to help fight a second wave in winter as he believes the virus is seasonal.

A Framework for Decision Making says Covid-19 causes harm in at least four ways.

The first is the "direct and tragic harm to people’s health", while the second is the wider impact on Scotland's health and social care services.

The third is the harm to society, including the effects of isolation and the impact on children's wellbeing from closed schools.

The last is the "enormous impact on our economy, with a potential fall of 33 per cent in GDP during the period of lockdown".

The document adds: "This is unprecedented and is causing deep uncertainty and hardship for many businesses, individuals and households.

"The damaging effect on poverty and inequality may be profound.

"Closures and job losses have been inevitable, even with the unprecedented support provided by government.

"And the impacts will intensify the longer the lockdown continues: we will see more businesses unable to recover and we risk the scarring effects of unemployment.

"The risks of increasing hardship and increasing poverty are real. This in turn risks damage to the health of the population.

"We must do everything possible to avoid permanent, structural damage to our economy."

Ms Sturgeon said the paper is the start of an "adult conversation" about how lockdown restrictions could be lifted.

Matt Hancock, the UK Health Secretary, said maintaining a “four nations” approach was essential to tackling the pandemic, and suggested the Scottish Government’s plan was based on his five tests for relaxing lockdown measures.

He also stressed the need for all four governments of the UK to continue working together.

When asked by the Herald why Westminster had not been able to produce a similarly detailed plan to that of the Scottish Government’s, he said: “We have set out the five tests that are needed for us to make changes to the lockdown measures and the Scottish Government proposals are based on those tests.”

The minister said a united approach from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland was “the best way to go” and said: “I think that having the four nations of the UK work together on this has been important thus far, not just on social distancing but on testing. The country has essentially moved together.

“It’s important that us having set out our tests, and now the Scottish government has set out its approach, which is very similar and based on the five tests we have set out, that a UK-wide approach is the best way to go.”

Opposition parties welcomed the Scottish Government's paper, but also stressed the importance of a UK-wide exit strategy.

Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: “The priority remains to save lives, protect the NHS and social care system and ensure the ongoing protection and welfare of vulnerable groups

“We should begin on a phased basis to restore non-essential public services and amenities and enable people to return to work, consistent with ensuring the achievement of the first three priorities."

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said a phased approach to lifting the lockdown was right, and should be based on the principle that saving lives and people's health must "take priority over commercial interests".

He said cross-border co-operation is critical.

The Scottish Greens said more detail was needed, particularly on testing.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said it will shortly publish a guide for retailers to help the wider industry re-open stores "in a safe way once government indicates they can do so".

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