First Minister will today reveal if lockdown restrictions will be relaxed

Outdoor activities such as tennis and golf are expected to start-up again from tomorrow

Published 28th May 2020
Last updated 28th May 2020

We're due to find out later today whether Scotland's coronavirus lockdown will be eased for the first time.

The First Minister's expected to announce plans which will allow for outdoor activity from tomorrow.

This would mean a return for things like golf, tennis and fishing.

Bob White from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association's welcoming the plans.

"Hopefully angling will be back on the agenda, but of course with a great deal of caution," he said.

"If people do come fishing, it would be bank only and there would certainly be a bid deal of social distancing.

"It's a case of limiting it to only a few people so you can observe those requirements."

The changes could come into effect from Friday but Ms Sturgeon has already warned not all the measures in phase one of her plan will necessarily be introduced immediately.

It comes after the number of people dying with Covid-19 fell for the fourth week in a row, with National Records of Scotland revealing there were 230 deaths linked to the virus registered between May 18 and 24.

Ms Sturgeon said: These trends, which have now been sustained for over four weeks, do definitely give us grounds for encouragement.''

At the same time, Scotland's new Test and Protect system also comes into force across the country.

The contact tracing system will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland'' Ms Sturgeon said, as part of efforts to continue to suppress the spread of the virus.

Under the new system, Scots will be expected to be tested for Covid-19 if they show symptoms of the disease - and if they test positive they will be asked to supply details of anyone they could have passed it on to.

Those people will then be contacted by the team of tracers and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

Speaking on Tuesday, the First Minister said introducing the system at the same time as we take the first very cautious steps out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions''.

So far, the only relaxation of restrictions in Scotland has been to allow people to exercise outside more than once a day.

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