Updates on the lifting of Scotland’s Covid restrictions

Scotland’s Covid-19 “stay at home” order will be lifted on 2nd April and replaced with “stay local” guidance.

Hairdressers and some non-essential shops such as garden centres could reopen on 5th April if rates remain low.

Addressing MSPs in the Scottish Parliament on 16th March, Nicola Sturgeon said that falling infections had left her “the most hopeful I have felt about the situation for a long time”, but warned: “the route back to normality does depend on continued suppression.”

It is hoped that travel restrictions can be lifted by 26th April, with most lockdown measures halted by the end of June. The devolved government is also planning on allowing four people from two households to meet inside by 17th May.

26th March:

• Communal worship for up to 50 people

2nd April:

• Stay at home order to be removed. However, people will be encouraged to “stay local” by not leaving their local authority area

5th April:

• Hairdressers, garden centres and some other non-essential shops will be allowed to re-open

• Click and collect services, homeware stores and car dealerships are among these

• Resumption of outdoor contact sports for 12 to 17-year-olds

• Phased return for universities and colleges 12th – 19th April:

• Full-time return to school for all pupils following Easter holidays

26th April:

• Return to levels system

• Domestic travel ban lifted, ‘stay at home’ guidance removed

• All shops, gyms, libraries, museums, galleries and tourist accommodation to reopen, as well as some indoor hospitality, including pubs restaurants and cafes 17th May (if Covid transmission and hospitalisations remain low)

• Re-introducing in-home socialising for up to 4 people from up to 2 households

• Further re-opening of hospitality: bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can stay open until 22:30 indoors with alcohol permitted and 2 hour time-limited slots and until 22:00 outdoors with alcohol permitted

• Adult outdoor contact sport and indoor group exercises can resume

• Cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls can re-open subject to capacity constraints

• Small scale indoor and outdoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints (to be confirmed following stakeholder engagement

• Colleges and universities can return to a more blended model of learning

• More in-person (face-to-face) support services can resume

• Non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors

End of June:

• All restrictions lifted

Further updates for Scotland can be found here.