Scotland’s lockdown will continue until at least the end of February, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Updating MSPs in Holyrood on Tuesday, the First Minister said progress had been made in the fight against the virus as a result of compliance with lockdown restrictions.

But the First Minister said “continued caution” was needed.

Ms Sturgeon also said there could be some “gradual easing” from the start of March.

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“If our progress continues, then I am cautiously optimistic that, as more and more people get vaccinated and with the protection of some of the additional measures that I will cover shortly, we may be able to begin looking towards a careful and gradual easing around the start of March.”

An update on possible easing will be given in two weeks, Ms Sturgeon said.

Covid-19 prevalence in Scotland has fallen under the lockdown regulations, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Updating MSPs in parliament, the First Minister said cases went from 302 per 100,000 in the week ending January 8 to 136 last week.

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She said: “Test positivity has also reduced. In the seven days up to January 29 it averaged 6.6% – still higher, but closer than it has been in recent weeks, to the 5% that the WHO consider to be indicative of an outbreak being under control.

“Pressure on our NHS continues to be severe. The number of Covid patients being treated in hospital remains around 30% above the high point of the first wave last April.

“However, hospital admissions in this wave appear to have peaked on January 12.

“They have now stabilised and are starting to reduce, albeit slowly.”