Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Today I will, as you are probably anticipating, confirm some careful and cautious changes to the current lockdown restrictions."

NS: "I will set out what those changes are in a moment – but I want to begin by acknowledging a simple point."

NS: "The only reason we can make any changes today is that we have made progress in suppressing this virus. And that is entirely down to the sacrifices that all of you have made.

So more than ever today, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you."

NS: "I’ll come to the changes themselves in a moment - and because there’s a lot to cover, my update will be a bit longer than normal - but first I will provide the usual statistical update."

NS: "As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,288 positive cases confirmed - an increase of 48 from yesterday."

NS: "A total of 1,238 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a decrease of 9 from yesterday, including a decrease of 13 in the number of confirmed cases."

NS: "A total of 37 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is an increase of 1 since yesterday."

NS: "I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,635 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital."

NS: "And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 12 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 - that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,316."

NS: "I feel very strongly, as I’m sure you do, that we must never become inured to these statistics - or forget that behind every single one is a person who was loved and is now deeply missed."

NS: "In future, we will want - collectively as a nation - to remember and mourn this loss.

But for now let me send my condolences to every family who has lost a loved one to this virus."

NS: "I also express my gratitude to our health and care workers for the incredible work you have done and continue to do, in such extraordinarily difficult circumstances."

NS: "The figures I have just given remind us that the progress we have made so far is real. But they also remind us of the toll this virus has taken - and that our progress remains fragile."

NS: "The virus is still proving fatal for far too many. Hundreds of people are still in hospital. And new infections are still being identified in most health board regions."

NS: "As I have said before, that means we must proceed with the utmost care and caution.

Nevertheless, a downward trend in Covid cases is now sustained and unmistakeable."

NS: "As you know, the law requires us to formally review the lockdown regulations at least every three weeks and to keep them in place only for as long as necessary. The latest review period ends today."

NS: "I can confirm that we have considered the latest evidence of the spread of the virus and can report as follows.

The R number - the transmission rate - remains in a range of 0.7 - 1."

NS: "We cannot be certain how far below 1 it is - and that confirms that we must continue to exercise caution.

However, we have now reasonable confidence that the R number has been below 1 for a period of more than 3 weeks."

NS: "Our modelling also shows that prevalence of the virus is reducing.

Last week, I reported an estimated 25,000 infectious cases. Our latest estimate is that as of last Friday 22 May, there were 19,000 infectious cases in Scotland."

NS: "In addition, the number of patients in ICU has fallen by 80% since the peak.

And the number of new hospital admissions has fallen by more than 80%."

NS: "Also, as we saw yesterday in the National Records of Scotland report, deaths associated with COVID - overall and in care homes - have now declined for four consecutive weeks. "

NS: "This evidence has allowed the Scottish Government to conclude that we can now move into phase 1 of our four phase route map out of lockdown."

NS: "My confidence in that conclusion is bolstered by the launch today of Test and Protect.

We are now asking any person who has symptoms of Covid - that is a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell - to take immediate steps to book a test."

NS: "If this applies to you, go straight to nhsinform.scot to get a test or, if you can’t go online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. Do not wait to see if you feel better before booking a test."

NS: "And apart from going for the test, you - and all people in your household - should self-isolate."

NS: "If you are contacted by Test and Protect to say you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, please follow the advice to self isolate for 14 days."

NS: "But remember that you can minimise the chances of this happening by taking care to stay at least 2 metres distant from anyone not part of your own household."

NS: "Test and Protect will be a crucial part of our efforts to control the virus in the weeks ahead. But it won’t do it on its own."

NS: "The decisions that all of us make – about staying 2 metres apart, washing our hands, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces – these matter just as much."

NS: "In many ways, in fact, they will matter even more as we start to relax our lockdown rules.

If we don’t pay close attention, and follow physical distancing and hygiene rules, those 19,000 estimated cases I mentioned earlier will quickly rise again."

NS: "However, all that said, we are now in a position to make careful changes. And I want to set out now what those will be.

Many of these changes will come into effect tomorrow."

NS: "We are publishing on the Scottish Government website specific guidance to help you understand these changes and the rules we are still asking you to follow. Please take time to read it."

NS: "The focus of our Phase 1 changes is on outdoor activity."

NS: "The reason for that is this - as long as people from different households remain 2 metres apart, do not touch the same surfaces and wash hands and surfaces regularly, the risk of the virus spreading is lower in an outdoor environment than it is indoors."

NS: "Even so, in making changes at this stage, we have limited room for manoeuvre. So we need to get the balance right."

NS: "We want to restart the economy as quickly as possible, but we have also kept in mind the things that matter most to our quality of life - family, friendship, love."

NS: "I will therefore spend most of my time today talking about what these changes will mean for your ability to interact with friends and family.

But first let me cover what the changes mean for business and public services."

NS: "From tomorrow, most outdoor work that has been put on hold can resume, and the construction industry will be able to restart site preparation - the first phase of its restart plan. It will require to consult further with government before moving to the second stage."

NS: "From tomorrow, garden centres and plant nurseries can reopen some of their services, and we will no longer discourage drive-through food outlets from re-opening."

NS: "However, non-essential shops, and pubs, restaurants and cafes - except for takeaway - must remain closed.

Household waste recycling centres can re-open from Monday - guidance on this was issued yesterday."

NS: "We continue to ask other business premises to remain closed at this stage, unless providing essential goods and services, and for all businesses to let staff work from home wherever possible."

NS: "From Monday 1st June onwards, teachers and other staff will be able to enter schools for the purpose of preparing for a re-opening of all schools on 11 August, for a blended in school/at home model of learning."

NS: "And from next Wednesday onwards – 3 June - childcare will be available to a larger number of children who most need it, for example vulnerable children and children of essential workers."

NS: "Childminding services and fully outdoor nursery provision will start to reopen from next Wednesday too. However, there will continue to be limits on the number of children that can be cared for. Guidance for childminders will issue on Monday."

NS: "During phase 1, some key public services - for example some respite care, children’s hearings and some key health programmes - will also begin to restart their work and further announcements on timing will be made in due course."

NS: "In terms of sport and recreation, some non-contact outdoor leisure activities will be allowed to restart from tomorrow."

NS: "This applies to activities where you can safely keep a 2 metre distance from others at all times and follow strict hygiene practices - for example golf, tennis, bowls and fishing."

NS: "You will also be able to, from tomorrow, sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas. I sure that will welcomed by many – but especially by those who do not have gardens."

NS: "And you will be able to travel, preferably by walking or cycling, to a location near your local community for recreation. However we are asking you, for now, to please stay within, or close to, your own local area. And don’t use public transport unless absolutely necessary."

NS: "We are not setting a fixed distance limit in law - but our strong advice is not to travel further than around 5 miles for leisure or recreation.

And it is still the case that you should not go to our island communities, except for essential reasons."

NS: "We simply do not want, in this phase, to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots. Crowds of people – even if they’re trying to socially distance – bring more risk than we judge is safe."

NS: "So if you do go somewhere and find it is crowded, please change your plans and go somewhere else.

The final area I want to talk about is social interaction."

NS: "But first, I want to say something to people who are shielding – the people who are most vulnerable to the virus."

NS: "You are well into your third month of being advised not to leave home at all. And I know that listening to today’s changes - which don’t yet bring any change to your own circumstances - will be hard for you."

NS: "So I want to assure you that we will provide you with more information in the next couple of weeks."

NS: "And we will try, as far as possible, to move to less of a blanket approach - one which requires all of you to stay at home all the time - to one that reflects your individual circumstances."

NS: "We know the impact that our advice is having on you, and on your loved ones – and we are doing everything we can to get that advice right so that you can safely, and gradually, start to lead a less restricted life."

NS: "I want you to know you have not been forgotten - you are a central part of our thinking, as we consider how we move forward."

NS: "More generally, we can today confirm changes to the rules on meeting socially. This is, I know, something everyone has been eagerly anticipating.

From tomorrow the regulations on meeting other people will change."

NS: "You and your household will be able to meet with another household out of doors – for example in a park or in a private garden."

NS: "We said last week this should be in small groups - and to give greater guidance, we are asking that the total number of people between the two households meeting up should be a maximum of 8. Please keep it to less than that if you can."

NS: "We are not saying that you must pick a household and only meet the same one during Phase 1. But we are saying that you should not meet with more than one household at a time."

NS: "And while this will not be the law, we also strongly recommend that you do not meet with more than one other household per day."

NS: "This change will obviously allow us to meet with more people than we can just now - but please remember that we should still be meeting far fewer people outside our own household than we would in normal times."

NS: "I know how much you will be looking forward to seeing family and friends for the first time in a while. But how we do so is vital."

NS: "Before you meet up with people from another household you should stop, think, read the guidance and make sure you are protecting yourself and others."

NS: "In particular, you must stay outdoors and at least 2 metres away from people from the other household. That is crucial.

You should also avoid touching the same hard surfaces as them."

NS: "Let me give an example of that. I suspect many of you will be planning a picnic or barbecue this weekend. If so, not only should you stay 2 metres apart, but each household should also bring its own food, cutlery, plates or cups. Don’t share these things."

NS: "And please - don’t go indoors. Being in someone else’s house should still be avoided, unless you are providing support to someone who is vulnerable."

NS: "That means thinking in very practical terms. We are not putting a legal limit on how far you can travel to meet another household, but please use your judgment. If the distance is so far that you would have to use someone else’s bathroom, perhaps you shouldn't be doing it."

NS: "The reason for all this is simple. If you go inside a house or share items, if you touch the same surfaces as another household, or come within 2 metres of each other, that is when you create an opportunity, a bridge for the virus to spread from one household to another."

NS: "And that is what all of us must still do everything we can to avoid."

NS: "I know the information I give at these briefings must be hard to absorb sometimes.

But today’s information is vital. So please watch this back later to make sure you caught all of it. And read the guidance on gov.scot"

NS: "What I have announced today are important first steps back to some kind of normality. But they are by necessity cautious."

NS: "I’ve said before that no changes are risk free - and there are no certainties - but that I wanted to ensure that with every step we take, the ground beneath our feet is as solid as possible. That is what we are taking care to do."

NS: "But I don’t mind admitting that as we take these first steps, I feel a bit nervous.

I worry that the limited changes we are making to the rules, might lead to much greater change in reality. And so I really need your help to make sure that’s not the case."

NS: "I’m sure there will be lots of emotional reunions this weekend. You’ll be planning to see family and friends you haven’t seen for weeks. Based on the current forecasts, the sun will be shining too. We’ve all waited a long time for this."

NS: "I hope you all really enjoy it. But please, please - respect the parameters that we have set out.

Be respectful of each other’s space, and make sure things still feel different to normal, because they should."

NS: "Above all, remember that each individual decision we take, will affect the safety and wellbeing of everyone. Make sure love, kindness and solidarity continue to be our guiding principles."

NS: "So to recap.

Still stay home as much as possible – the virus has not gone away. Lockdown is being modified slightly - it is not over."

NS: "Make sure you are still seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.

Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group."

NS: "Stay 2 metres apart when you do meet. That will be difficult, I know. The instinct to hug someone you love is a strong one – especially if you haven’t seen them for months."

NS: "And I know that for some - couples who live apart for example - this is even more difficult. I want to assure you we are considering that carefully."

NS: "But for now - whether its parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, siblings, partners from other households - don’t put your loved ones or yourself at risk."

NS: "Also wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

Avoid hard surfaces - and clean any you are touching.

And if you have symptoms, get tested and follow the advice on self isolation."

NS: "We are only able to take these careful steps towards a less restricted lifestyle now because all of you have, overwhelmingly, stuck to the rules so far."

NS: "And we will be able to take more steps more quickly in the future, if we all continue to do the right thing, stick to the rules, and exercise good judgment at all times."

NS: "I want to thank you for all you've done so far, but thank all of you in advance for doing the right thing.

And though these changes are small at this stage, I hope they do make a positive difference."