SHOPS, bars and restaurants are set to reopen across Scotland towards the end of next month, Nicola Sturgeon has said, as she outlined the country's exit from lockdown.
The First Minister said retailers and hospitality venues will be able to reopen from April 26.
However, cafes, pubs and restaurants will have to close indoor areas at 8pm and will not be able to serve alcohol inside.
Alcohol will be allowed in outdoor areas, which will be able to stay open until 10pm. From May 17, venues will be able to serve alcohol indoors.
Hairdressers and barbers are set to reopen on April 5.
The current "stay at home" rule will be lifted on April 2 and replaced with guidance to stay local, and all pupils should be back in school full-time after the Easter break.
Up to six people from three households will be able socialise outdoors from April 26.
And up to four people from two households will be able to socialise indoors in a public place such as a cafe or restaurant from that date.
Travel within mainland Scotland will also be allowed from April 26, while gyms and swimming pools will be able to reopen for individual exercise.
Tourist accommodation will be able to reopen with restrictions in place, alongside libraries, museums and galleries.
Further easing will take place from May 17, including allowing hospitality venues to open later indoors and serve alcohol inside.
From that date, up to four people from two household will be able to socialise indoors in a private home or public space.
Meanwhile, outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart and cinemas will be able to reopen.
Small-scale outdoor and indoor events will be able to resume subject to capacity constraints.
From early June, hospitality will be able to remain open until 11pm.
Up to six people from three households will be able to socialise indoors in a home or public place.
And up to eight people from three households will be able to socialise outdoors.
More people will be able to attend events subject to capacity constraints, and indoor non-contact sport will be able to take place.
From the end of June, there will be a phased return of some office staff, with a further increase in the number of people able to attend events.
Ms Sturgeon said delivering the plans is dependent on continued progress against the virus.
She said: "Vaccination is already having a significant impact on the number of deaths in Scotland, and research giving us more confidence in its effects against new variants and in helping prevent transmission.
"That gives us more confidence in setting possible dates for our next steps out of lockdown in addition to the significant changes set out last week to allow more socialisation, and get children back to school as soon as possible.
“It is not possible to provide specific dates or details for coming out of lockdown beyond May 17 – that will depend on what impact there is from the changes already made - however my hope and ambition is that from early June, all of Scotland will effectively be in level 1 of the levels system, allowing for a further easing of restrictions – and possibly moving to level 0 in late June.
“That is not the endpoint - we hope and expect that vaccination, better treatments, continued use of the test and protect system, and proportionate ongoing precautions such as good hand hygiene will allow us to keep Covid under much greater control.
"This will allow us to enjoy many of the things that we took for granted before the pandemic– normal family gatherings where we can hug our loved ones, sporting events, gigs and nightclubs.
"I cannot set a date for that point yet, but I do believe that over the coming weeks as more and more adults are vaccinated it will be possible to set a firmer date by which many of these normal things will be possible, and I am very optimistic that this date will be over the summer.
“Thanks to the sacrifices we all made three months ago, and the success of the vaccination programme we are now in a much better and brighter position, with well-earned optimism as we look ahead to the summer."
Grants of up to £7,500 for retailers and up to £19,500 for hospitality and leisure businesses will be paid in April to help businesses reopen.
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