First minister outlines April timeline for opening of non-essential businesses

The First Minister has confirmed she will lift the stay-at-home rule on 2 April with a condition that we stay within the Moray county boundary.

The Levels system in operation last year will return on 26 April with mainland authority areas going into a modified Level 3 and islands into Level 2. She added that she hoped the whole country could be in Level 0 by the end of June.

Nicola Sturgeon added that she hoped for a return to normality by the end of June.

She also confirmed that a phased re-opening of non-essential businesses can start from 26 April as planned.

The time line confirmed today includes:

Friday 2 April

• Stay-at-home rule lifted, but staying local is essential

Monday 5 April

• Contact sports for 12–17-year-olds can resume
• More students in further education can return to all-campus learning

From this date, we will see a phased re-opening of non-essential retail including

• Click and collect will resume
• Some businesses such as homeware stores, car dealerships and garden stores
• Hairdressers and barbers salons’ will re-open

Monday 12 April

• All school pupils back to school full-time

Monday 26 April

• All mainland areas to adopt a modified level 3 (Islands will adopt level 2)
• Travel restrictions on journeys within mainland Scotland lifted completely

All remaining non-essential retail and close-contact services can re-open including:

• Tourist accommodation with some restriction on hospitality functions
• Museums and galleries to re-open
• Gyms offering one-to-one service

Other relaxations include:

• Work in people’s homes can restart
• Group size at weddings and outdoor gatherings will increase to 50.
• Six people from three households will be able to meet outdoors, and six people from six households for those aged 12-17.
• Driving tests can resume

Hospitality will also get the green light:

• Takeaway food can be collected indoors
• Cafes, restaurants and bars will be able to re-open for outdoor service for groups of six people from three households, with no requirement for food to be purchased. A curfew of 10pm will be in place.
• Limited indoor service till 8pm with a requirement for food to be consumed, and no alcoholic drinks to groups of four people from two households.
• Track and trace will be in force with a requirement to keep customer details for three weeks.

People who are shielding will also be able to return to work on this date.