Coronavirus in Scotland: Professor Linda Bauld expects covid lockdown easing will go ahead as planned

Nicola Sturgeon is poised to announce that the next stage of lifting lockdown will go ahead as planned, a leading public health expert has said.

Scotland is set to move to Level Two restrictions on May 17, but this has yet to be confirmed by the Scottish Government.

The First Minister said on Sunday she plans to meet clinical advisors on Monday, with a final decision to be announced on Tuesday.

Ms Sturgeon told the BBC s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: “We have a Covid review on Tuesday where we will set out the final decisions for the next easing of restrictions scheduled for May 17.”

In level 2 up to four people from two households can socialise indoors in a private home. Pubs can sell alcohol indoors, and cinemas, theatres, comedy clubs, amusement arcades and bingo halls can open.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme, Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said the country is on track to ease lockdown measures in line with the Scottish Government's roadmap.

She said: “We're on track at the moment, progress has been excellent.

“As you know, we've got one local authority that's of particular concern, but other than that we are well into that threshold of Level Two that the Scottish Government has said.

Scots will be able to drink inside pubs from May 17.

“All areas except for Murray are well below 50 cases per 100,000. And so I would expect that we will see the easing as planned.

“Probably the most significant change for people around the country is that for people from two households will be able to meet indoors – and that's something that many, many people are looking forward to.”

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