Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon. My update today is going to be a little bit longer than normal as I have some important information to convey including on shielding."

NS: "First, I will give an update as usual on the key statistics in relation to Covid-19. As at 9am this morning there have been 15,639 positive cases confirmed. That's an increase of 18 from yesterday."

NS: "A total of 1,042 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 - that represents a total increase of 40 from yesterday, including an increase of 9 in the number of confirmed cases in hospital."

NS: "A total of 24 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, and that is a decrease of 1 since yesterday."

NS: "I'm also able to confirm today that since the 5th March, a total of 3,799 patients who had tested positive and required hospital treatment for the virus have now been able to leave hospital."

NS: "And, in the past 24 hours, no deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test of having Covid-19."

NS: "The total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement therefore remains at 2,415."

NS: "This is of course the second day in a row that no deaths have been registered in the preceding 24 hours. This is obviously very encouraging. I can't tell you how much I've longed to report such a development and I know all of you will have longed to hear that."

NS: "But even so, we must still exercise caution. We know from previous weeks that fewer deaths tend to be registered at weekends, so it is still highly like that more Covid deaths will be recorded in the days ahead."

NS: "But I very much hope that we will continue to see a steady decline. As always I want to stress that the figures I have been reporting over the past few weeks are not just statistics - they represent individuals, whose loss is a source of sorrow to many."

NS: "My deepest condolences are with anyone who has lost a loved one to this virus."

NS: "I also want to express my thanks once again to our health and care workers for the incredible work you continue to do in very testing circumstances."

NS: "Today I want to convey a very special message. It's a message very much from my heart to everyone who is watching."

NS: "I want to take a moment to thank you for the sacrifices you have made in recent weeks. I know how painful many of these sacrifices have been. Not being able to see family, especially grandchildren, or attend funerals of loved ones, or celebrate special occasions."

NS: "These are times in our lives that we don't get back. And the experience, the worry, the loneliness of these weeks will live with all of us forever."

NS: "That's true for everyone, but it is and will continue to be so especially for those in the shielded category, who I will address directly in a moment."

NS: "I want all of you, whether shielded or not, to know that I am acutely aware of this in every single decision I take. There are no words that will ever adequately express the sorrow I feel for all you have gone through, or the gratitude I feel for the way you have borne it."

NS: "I also know as you listen to me report statistics that are now going in a positive direction, you'll be asking if these sacrifices remain necessary."

NS: "And, as you'll witness, some people, even just a minority, not abiding by the rules, I suspect you'll also be asking, why should I bother?"

NS: "I understand all of that. I really, really do. And I share the frustration at times as well. But sticking with this for a bit longer really does matter. These painful but necessary sacrifices have brought us where we are today, with this virus in retreat."

NS: "In retreat, but not gone, and still posing a real risk, especially to the most clinically vulnerable."

NS: "This is such a crucial juncture in our battle against this virus. We will either keep going, keep beating it back as we are now, or we will give it the chance to roar back with a vengeance. We must, must do the former."

NS: "If we break the chains of transmission even more and drive down the number of new cases to a lower base, the safer it will then be to more meaningfully ease the restrictions and speed up our journey back to some normality."

NS: "And if we do keep making the progress we have in the last few weeks, I am optimistic that, ten days from now at the next formal review, we will be able to move, at least in part, into the next phase of our routemap out of lockdown..."

NS: "with more individual freedoms restored and more businesses able to open up and operate again. But that depends on each and every one of us, so please, please, stick with it for now."

NS: "Every day that we do does bring us closer to getting back to a form of normality. Today I want to thank each and every one of you for all of those sacrifices you've been making."

NS: "Now the main and difficult issue I want to talk about today is shielding. I want to give as much of an update as I can for the approximately 180,000 people across Scotland who have been shielding."

NS: "Shielding because we know you are at the greatest risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from this virus."

NS: "Our initial advice back in March was for you to shield until June 18th and I know you are anxious about what happens next."

NS: "This is not an easy update to give and I know it will not be an easy one for you to hear, but it is important we set out for you our current expectations at this stage."

NS: "And I should say you will receive a letter from the CMO shortly with the information I'm about to give you. The advice for you to shield has been necessary to protect you from harm - and for now, it remains necessary."

NS: "But I'm well aware that such a long period of isolation causes its own harms, and distress."

NS: "For all these reasons we want, as soon as we possibly can, to move to a better position where we can give you more tailored advice on the risks associated with your specific condition, and what you can do to mitigate those risks and support you to live more normally."

NS: "However, to do that properly and safely we need more clinical and scientific evidence than we have right now. And I'll say a bit more about that in a few moments."

NS: "For the moment, despite the progress that has been made in reducing levels of Covid in the community, the virus still poses a very significant threat to you. I'm afraid therefore our recommendation to you at this stage is you should continue to shield until 31st July."

NS: "We are, however, likely to amend our current guidance, so that from next week you can go outside to exercise - and I will say more about that shortly."

NS: "The support you currently receive will, of course, still be available. At present more than 50,000 shielding people receive grocery boxes and 46,000 have registered for priority online delivery with supermarkets."

NS: "That's in addition to the services local pharmacists are providing and the help given by local authorities and the third sector."

NS: "All of these services will continue and even if you haven't needed them up until now, you can still access them if you need them in future."

NS: "And I promise you - and I want to say this very sincerely and directly to you - I promise you we are not going to forget about you between now and the end of July."

NS: "During that period we will consider, on an ongoing basis, whether any further easing is possible, and if we can bring shielding in its current form to an end any earlier than the end of July, we will do so."

NS: "But we judge now that it is better to give you that clarity of a backstop date at this stage."

NS: "Please be assured we are working hard to provide that more tailored approach for you so that from the end of July at the latest you can enjoy more normality in your life."

NS: "And what does that mean? We know that not every person who is shielding faces exactly the same risks so we're working to develop tools that will allow you and your clinician to take into account your specific condition and other factors like your age or ethnicity..."

NS: "..in order to give you a better sense of the risks you face. As part of that, we're also looking for ways to help you understand the changing risk of infection in your own local area."

NS: "Once this advice is available we'll start providing more specific advice for you so you can understand the safest ways to go back to a more normal life."

NS: "We're working on this with clinicians and scientific advisers across the four nations of the UK."

NS: "It's worth stressing that some of these issues are really complex and new clinical evidence is becoming available constantly."

NS: "However, we do hope to make this more detailed advice available over the next few weeks."

NS: "Before then, for the period from the 18th June onwards, that's from next Thursday onwards, we've been considering what steps we can safely take now."

NS: "We now know that the risk of catching the virus outdoors, if you stay 2m apart from other people, is relatively low. Not zero, but lower than it is indoors."

NS: "So we're currently expecting that, from Thursday 18th June, anybody who is shielding, unless they live in a nursing or residential care home, will be able to go outdoors for exercise."

NS: "There'll be no limit on how long, or how often, you can go out each day. We hope this will provide some boost for your quality of life, particularly if you live in a home that doesn't have a garden, or which has limited space, without greatly increasing the risks you face."

NS: "Assuming this change goes ahead - and I currently expect that will be the case - you'll be able to go out for exercise, for example a walk, wheel, run or cycle, however you should stay 2m away from others while you're out."

NS: "We will not recommend yet that you take part in sports such as golf or tennis, and you should still avoid meeting up with other households, even in a physically distanced setting."

NS: "I know that, in particular, is really hard, but we want to avoid the possibility at this stage of creating additional risks."

NS: "For people who live in nursing or other residential care homes, I'm afraid any change to the guidance on exercise from 18th June will not - yet - apply to you, but we will change our advice for you as soon as we confidently can do so."

NS: "In relation to education, we've already published guidance to clarify that children who are shielding should not be expected to return until it's safe."

NS: "Instead, they should be supported to receive education at home or in a way that best meets their needs."

NS: "And in relation to work, of course, the starting point for everyone regardless of whether or not you're shielding should be that you work from home wherever possible."

NS: "But if you are shielding, you're not expected to return to a workplace until at least the 31st of July, and I want to be clear that employers should do everything they can to help you work from home safely."

NS: "Nobody should be penalised for following medical guidance."

NS: "Before I finish I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that the support made available to people who are shielding is only possible because different organisations have worked together."

NS: "That includes national and local government, the third sector, supermarkets and wholesalers, and the NHS."

NS: "And these services depend on a lot of hard work from a lot of people. For example the staff in local authority assistance centres, delivery drivers, volunteers and many others. I want to say thank you to all of them."

NS: "I also know that for anyone who lives with someone who is shielding this has been a particularly stressful time, and I want to acknowledge the support you have been providing in incredibly difficult circumstances."

NS: "But most of all I want to say thank you to those of you who are shielding."

NS: "Obviously, I don't know, from my own personal experience, just how difficult this has been for you, so I'm not going to pretend to you that I do."

NS: "But I can imagine how difficult this has been. And I know that many of you listening today will be very disappointed that shielding is to continue for some time yet."

NS: "I want to assure you though. This is not a decision we take lightly. It's one that weighs very heavily on all of us, including on me."

NS: "But it is for your protection, and I hope that our advice on exercise, should it come into force next week as I expect it will do, will make a difference for many of you."

NS: "And I also promise that we will ease our guidance again before the end of July if we are confident we can do so safely, and I guarantee that in the weeks ahead you will be absolutely central to all of our thinking."

NS: "I want to conclude by emphasising again the key public health guidance for all people outside the shielding group."

NS: "You should still be staying home most of the time and still be meeting fewer people than you normally would."

NS: "When you do meet people from another household you must stay outdoors and you must stay 2m apart from them. Don't meet with more than one other household at a time, don't meet with more than one a day, and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group."

NS: "Wash your hands often, if you're out and about take hand sanitiser with you. Wear a face covering when you're in a shop or public transport. Avoid hard surfaces and do clean any that you do touch."

NS: "And of course, if you have symptoms of Covid-19, you must get tested and follow the advice on self-isolation."

NS: "Above all else, all of us must remember right now that the decisions we take as individuals continue to have an impact on the health and wellbeing of all of us."

NS: "And if we all do the right thing then we will continue to slow the spread of this virus, and we will save lives, and we will bring forward that day when all of us can begin to get back to some normality."

NS: "So my thanks again to all of you. My thanks, in particular, to those watching in the shielded category."

NS: "I know how difficult what I reported to you will be but let me repeat that promise - we have not and will not forget you."