Confirmed: beer gardens, gyms and shops to reopen next week

The first minister has confirmed that beer gardens, gyms and shops across Scotland will open as planned next week.

It will be the biggest easing of restrictions yet since the country went into a national lockdown after Christmas.

All of mainland Scotland will move to level three restrictions.

Changes include:

• Up to six people from two households can socialise indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant
• Unrestricted travel within Scotland, England and Wales (subject to other local restrictions in place)
• All shops, stores and close contact services can open
• Hospitality venues like cafes, pubs and restaurants can open until 8pm indoors (no alcohol) with local licensing rules in place outdoors (with alcohol)
• Non-essential childcare permitted
• Non-essential in-house work permitted
• Tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation to be restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering)
• Driving lessons and tests can take place
• Funerals and weddings including post-funeral events and receptions can take place with up to 50 people (alcohol permitted)
• Gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise
• Indoor attractions and public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries can open
• Takeaway food can be collected indoors

It follows the lifting of Scotland-wide travel restrictions on Friday, while people can now meet in groups of up to six from six different households outdoors.

The first minister says she hopes to be able to confirm a move to level two from May 17, before moving to level one on June 7 and to level zero in late June, along with "something much more like normality" in July.

Nicola Sturgeon said: "The changes that come into force next week have been hard earned by all of us. I know that many will be looking forward – quite rightly – to their first drink in a beer garden, to catching up with a friend in a café, or to going on holiday somewhere in Scotland.

"But even as we enjoy those moments, we still need to be careful. We must remember the virus is more infectious now than it was when bars and cafés were last open, so we must still stick to the rules. However, we are hopeful of seeing sustained progress in the weeks and months ahead.

"We are keeping island communities in Level 3 at the moment, so that we can allow travel between those communities and the rest of Scotland. If you are planning to travel to an island and do not have Covid-19 symptoms, we will encourage you to take two lateral flow tests for Covid-19 before you depart.

"This is an important way to reduce the risk of bringing Covid-19 into island communities. If you are travelling to an island next week, it is possible to get tests from today, and I would encourage you to do that."