First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Since 9am yesterday an additional 9 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, which takes the total number now to 18,191."
NS: "A total of 880 patients are currently in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, an increase of 15 since yesterday, but it includes a decrease of 23 in the number of confirmed cases."
NS: "As of last night 23 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 which is an increase of 2 on the number that I reported yesterday."
NS: "Unfortunately, in the past 24 hours, 4 deaths of patients who had been confirmed as having the virus have been registered, which takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement to 2,480."
NS: "In addition, National Records of Scotland has just published its more detailed weekly report. These figures report deaths were Covid has been confirmed by lab tests and also where the virus was entered on the death certificate as a suspected or contributory cause of death."
NS: "The latest NRS report covers the period to Sunday 21st June. At that point, according to our daily figures, 2,472 deaths of people who had tested positive for the virus had been registered."
NS: "However, today's report shows by Sunday the total number of registered deaths with either a confirmed or presumed link to the virus was 4,119."
NS: "Of those, 49 were registered in the 7 days up to Sunday, which is a decrease from 69 the week before."
NS: "This is the eighth week in a row in which the number of deaths from the virus has fallen. The number of excess deaths - the number above the five-year average for the same time of year - was 39, which is up from 34 in the previous week."
NS: "However, for context, the number of excess deaths ten weeks ago was 878."
NS: "Deaths in care homes made up 41% of the total Covid deaths last week and the number of Covid deaths in care homes reduced again from 35 to 20."
NS: "These statistics tell of real and sustained progress, but even though the number of deaths from Covid is reducing we must never become inured to them."
NS: "Every death represented in these numbers is a tragedy - the loss of a unique and loved individual. I want to send my condolences to everyone who is grieving as a result of this virus."
NS: "I'm also aware that talking about statistical trends will not provide them with any consolation whatsoever."
NS: "However, the trends are clear - and for all the pain this virus is causing, and the real risk it poses, they are positive."
NS: "And they give us confidence now to set some firmer milestones for our route out of lockdown."
NS: "@Scotgov first published the routemap for leaving lockdown on the 21st of May, almost five weeks ago."
NS: "The week before we did so, more than 300 people in Scotland died from the virus. At the peak of the epidemic back in April, 660 died from the virus in a single week."
NS: "As I've just reported, in the most recent week the number of deaths reduced to 49."
NS: "At the time of publishing the routemap the R number was between 0.7 and 1, now it is between 0.6 and 0.8."
NS: "On 21st May we estimated that 25,000 people in Scotland at that time had the virus and were capable of transmitting it to others."
NS: "Our most recent estimate was that 2,900 were infectious and tomorrow, when we publish the updated assessment, I expect it to have fallen further to around 2,000."
NS: "This progress is due to people across Scotland doing the right thing and following the rules, and I want to record my thanks again to everyone today for doing that."
NS: "The sacrifices that have been made have supressed the virus, though I know how hard and, at times, painful they have been."
NS: "They have also protected the NHS and they have undoubtedly saved a significant number of lives. They've also brought us to the position where we can look ahead with a bit more clarity to our path out of lockdown."
NS: "Let me stress that each step on this path depends on us continuing to beat the virus back. If we don't do that we can't take these steps forward, and if the virus starts to spread again, the steps we have already taken may need to be reversed."
NS: "That is what we must do absolutely everything in our power to avoid. That means continuing with the careful approach that has brought us to where we are now."
NS: "Our pace is slightly slower than England's, but it is, in my view, right for our circumstances, and I hope it is more likely to be sustainable than if we went faster now."
NS: "Maintaining our progress also means us abiding by our public health guidance."
NS: "Wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces, avoiding crowded places, washing our hands, cleaning surfaces regularly, maintaining physical distancing and agreeing to immediately self-isolate and get a test if we have symptoms."
NS: "All of these basic protections matter now much more than ever."
NS: "They will reduce the ability of the virus to spread, even as we all get out and about a bit more. And that, Presiding Officer, is the key point. The virus has not gone away and it will not go away of its own accord."
NS: "It will pose a real and significant threat for some time to come so we must not ever be complacent in the face of it."
NS: "We must keep working to drive it down further, towards the point of elimination, because that then gives us the best chance of keeping it under control through testing, surveillance, contact tracing and the application of targeted suppression measures when that's necessary."
NS: "The prize, if we succeed, is getting greater normality back in our lives, and maybe more quickly than we would have envisaged a few weeks ago and hopefully without reversals back into blanket lockdown."
NS: "Nowhere does any of that matter more than in our schools. As John Swinney said yesterday, blended learning is a necessary contingency because we might need it. There are no certainties with this virus."
NS: "But the progress we've made now makes it possible to plan for a full-time return to school in August with appropriate safety measures in place."
NS: "To achieve this, though, we must continue to drive the virus down to the lowest possible levels and keep it there."
NS: "And I hope that the prospect of getting pupils back to full-time education sooner rather than later gives us all an added incentive to do exactly that."
NS: "The same is true of the updated version of the routemap that we have published today. That now sets out a series of indicative dates for the remainder of Phase 2 and the early part of Phase 3."
NS: "This greater clarity is possible because of the progress we've made against the virus, but delivering on the milestones depends on that progress continuing."
NS: "We will complete our formal 3-week reviews, as required by law, on the 9th and 30th of July, and I will make statements in Parliament on both of these dates."
NS: "But I hope today's statement will provide people and businesses across the country with a bit more certainty now in their forward planning."
NS: "We'll also issue detailed guidance ahead of the key dates being indicated today. That guidance will be informed by the advice we commissioned last week from our scientific advisory group on two key issues."
NS: "Firstly what, if any, further mitigations are required in locations that might pose a higher risk of transmission, and second, what settings, circumstances and with what mitigations might it be possible to allow a relaxation of the 2m physical distancing rule."
NS: "I'll receive that advice next week and report on it by 2nd July and we will issue guidance as soon as possible afrer that."
NS: "However there are three general points I want to make today in advance of it."
NS: "First, unless and until we have confidence that the risk of moving away from it in certain circumstances can be mitigated, businesses and individuals must continue to comply with the 2m physical distance rule."
NS: "However, I do understand the concerns businesses in certain sectors in particular have about this, and so I hope that in the period ahead, we can find a viable and safe balance."
NS: "Second, we'll take a decision on whether to make face coverings mandatory in shops - as we have already done on public transport - in light of the advice we receive next week..."
NS: "..but in the meantime, we will join with the retail sector in a campaign to promote and encourage their use."
NS: "Third, to support our Test & Protect system, businesses in the hospitality sector will be required to take names and contact details of customers and store these for four weeks, so they should be preparing for that now."
NS: "Let me turn now to the updated routemap. As I announced last week, non-essential retail can reopen from Monday, so too can workplaces in the manufacturing sector that have been closed until now."
NS: "Outdoor playgrounds and sports courts can also open from Monday. However I can also confirm indicative dates for the rest of Phase 2 and for the early part of Phase 3. Let me repeat that all these depend on continued suppression of the virus."
NS: "I can confirm that on 3rd July it is our intention to lift the guidance advising people in Scotland to travel no more than 5 miles for leisure and recreation purposes."
NS: "Although the tourism sector will not open fully until 15th July, we intend that self-contained holiday accommodation, for example, holiday cottages and lodges or caravans where there are no shared services, can open from 3rd July."
NS: "However we'd ask people to use good judgement, abide by the rules that apply at any time to households meeting up, and be sensitive to those living in our rural and island communities."
NS: "And the advice, of course, remains to avoid crowded places."
NS: "As we hopefully suppress the virus further, we will also continue to consider any measures that might be necessary to protect against the risk of imported cases of the virus."
NS: "It is then our intention that outdoor hospitality such as beer gardens will be permitted to reopen on Monday 6th July."
NS: "That gives a few days after we receive advice from the advisory group for guidance to be issued and any necessary mitigations to be put in place."
NS: "I hope we will then be able to move to Phase 3 of the routemap on the 9th July, but as indicated earlier, I will make a further statement to Parliament on that date."
NS: "However as was the case with Phase 2, I don't expect we will do everything in Phase 3 at the same time. Instead we will take a phased approach."
NS: "The resumption of our public services, for example, will continue during the three-week period. However I'll give some indicative dates now for the early part of Phase 3. Others will be added later."
NS: "We intend that from 10th July households will be able to meet people from more households outdoors with physical distancing, and I'll confirm the details of that in my 2nd July update."
NS: "I also hope at that point to confirm an expansion of the extended household model and also some changes that will give young people more opportunities to mix with their friends over the summer holiday period."
NS: "However I can confirm now that organised outdoor sports for children and young people can, subject to guidance, resume from 13th July."
NS: "We also expect non-essential shops within indoor shopping centres will reopen from 13th July, subject to guidance on physical distancing and other measures."
NS: "From 15th July we intend that a household will be able to meet indoors with people from up to two other households, subject to physical distancing and strict hygiene measures."
NS: "We intend that early learning and childcare services will be able to resume from 15th July subject to individual provider arrangements."
NS: "It is likely though, Presiding Officer, that capacity will remain restricted initially. As we've indicated, the tourism sector generally, and therefore all holiday accommodation, can reopen from 15th July."
NS: "We intend that indoor locations such as museums, galleries, monuments, cinemas and libraries will also be able to reopen from that date, but with precautions in place."
NS: "For example, tickets being secured in advance, and subject to physical distancing, and strict hygiene."
NS: "Unfortunately though, theatres, bingo halls, nightclubs, casinos and other live entertainment venues will not reopen until a later date."
NS: "We intend that pubs and restaurants will open indoors on 15th July, but on a limited basis initially and subject to a number of conditions. Detailed guidance will be issued as soon as possible."
NS: "And last but not least, for many of us, we intend that hairdressers and barbers will reopen from 15th July."
NS: "Other personal retail services will remain closed until a later date. The other changes planned under Phase 3 require further consideration and assessment."
NS: "These include communal worship, indoor live entertainment venues, outdoor live events under certain conditions, indoor gyms, and the lifting of restrictions on attendance at weddings and, unfortunately, funerals."
NS: "I'm not able to give indicative dates on these today, however my judgement now is that these changes are unlikely to take effect before 23rd July, although we will, of course, keep that under close review."
NS: "In addition, before the end of July we will provide further advice to those who are shielding. We want, if we can, to move away from the current position of blanket advice for all shielding people to much more tailored advice about risk and how to mitigate it."
NS: "Our challenge - which is not an easy one - is to manage all of this change while keeping this virus firmly under control. If, at any stage, there appears to be a risk of its resurgence, our path out of lockdown will be halted and we may even have to go backwards."
NS: "To avoid that we must get as close as possible to elimination of the virus now and build confidence in our ability to control it in future through surveillance testing, contact tracing and, where necessary, targeted suppression measures."
NS: "If we can do that then the move from Phase 3 to Phase 4 will become possible - perhaps as we go into August."
NS: "That won't be easy and it certainly cannot be taken for granted, but we can all play a part in making it happen."
NS: "Complying with the requirements of Test & Protect is absolutely vital. An information leaflet about Test & Protect is being delivered to every household across Scotland this week, but let me take the opportunity now to remind everyone watching what it asks of all of us."
NS: "If you have symptoms of the virus, you and your household must self-isolate and book a test immediately. The symptoms to watch out for are a new cough, a fever, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell."
NS: "If you experience any of these symptoms please do not wait to see if you feel better later that day or the next day, take action straightaway."
NS: "You should book a test at nhsinform.scot or by phoning NHS24 on 0800 028 2816."
NS: "I hope this statement has been useful in providing some further clarity on changes likely to take effect in the early part of the summer."
NS: "Both I and my ministerial colleagues will keep Parliament updated over the course of recess. I will make further statements in the Chamber on 9th and 30th of July, and I will also provide regular updates in the daily media briefings."
NS: "I hope very much that by the time Parliament meets again in two weeks we will have made further progress in the fight against this virus and be further down the path out of lockdown, but I cannot stress enough that that depends on all of us."
NS: "The choices we've made to date as individuals and made collectively as a society have brought us this far, albeit with a lot of sorrow and anguish along the way."
NS: "But arguably, the choices we make in the coming weeks will be even more important, as we learn to work, socialise, and live alongside each other again, but in a way that keeps the virus under control."
NS: "For us to meet each other indoors again, for more businesses to return, children to return to school on a full-time basis in August, all of that depends on all of us acting for the common good."
NS: "It depends on everyone sticking to the essential public health rules and having the patience to stick with a careful but steady path out of lockdown."
NS: "For the moment, except for those who have chosen to form an extended household, please continue to only meet family and friends out of doors. If we stick with that for a further two weeks, I am hopeful that indoor meetings will be possible again soon."
NS: "And, please, at all times remember our key guidance. Remember the FACTS."
NS: "Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces. Public transport, shops, anywhere else where physical distancing is more difficult."
NS: "Avoid crowded areas. Clean your hands more regularly and thoroughly and clean hard surfaces after touching them. Two-metre distancing remains the clear advice."
NS: "Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have symptoms of Covid - a new cough, a fever, and a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell."
NS: "It is because so many people have done the right things and stuck so closely to the rules that we are making such progress."
NS: "That is what has brought us to a position where we can now see a route back to living less restricted lives. So please, stick with it."
NS: "Be sensible and apply careful judgement. In everything we do we should be thinking not just of our own health but that of everyone around us too."
NS: "If we all continue to do the right thing by each other and by our communities, I do believe we will get through this more quickly."
NS: "My message to everybody is stay safe, protect others, and save lives."
