THE First Miniser has revealed the Scottish Government's lockdown exit strategy during the latest coronavirus update. 

Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement in a speech in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

Details for the re-opening of shopping, outdoor and subsequently indoor hospitality, and further relaxations to the rules about meeting up with other households were laid out.

Stay at home restrictions will be lifted from April 2 with people urged to "stay local" instead - meaning no travel will be allowed outside people's local authority area for non-essential purposes.

College students could be able to return to college from April 5, with certain classes prioritised. 

Non-essential retail and click and collect services will also re-open on a phased basis from April 5, as well as garden centres.

Barbers and hairdressers will also be able reopen from April 5.

On April 19, all school pupils will be back full time after the Easter holidays.

On April 26, the country will return to the "levels system", with all of Scotland moving to a modified level three to begin with. 

Mainland Scotland travel restrictions will be completely lifted on the same day, with travel to the rest of the UK to resume on that day or shortly after.

Non-essential retail will reopen at level three, alongside pubs and restaurants - but only outdoors in groups of up to 6 from three households up to 10pm. Indoor hospitality will be allowed until 8pm for groups of four from two different households, with only food and non-alcoholic drinks available.

Libraries, gyms, swimming pools and other leisure activities will also resume from this date, with some restrictions.

Outdoor socialising will allow six people from three different households.

From May 17, with tier system permitting, up to four people from two households can socialise indoors in a private home or public space.

Hospitality venues can open until 10:30pm indoors with alcohol permitted for up to two hours and 10:00 pm outdoors, with alcohol permitted.

Outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart.

Cinemas, amusement arcades, and bingo halls can open.

Small-scale outdoor and indoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints.

The First Minister also set out an ambition to move all of Scotland to Level 1 of restrictions from early June - allowing up to six people from three households to socialise indoors in a home or public place.

Up to eight people from three households can socialise outdoors.

Eight 12-17 year olds can meet socially from eight households outdoors.

Hospitality can remain open until 11pm, and attendence at events can increase, with numbers subject to capacity restraints.

It was also confirmed that there were a further seven deaths of coronavirus patients, and 597 new cases in the past 24 hours, 3.8 per cent of those tested.

Across Scotland, 1,943,507 people have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

There are 440 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down seven in 24 hours, and 42 are in intensive care, an increase of two from yesterday.

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