Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon. Now, due to the election campaign, the last time I stood here to give you a Covid briefing was three weeks ago..."

NS: ".., so I'm glad, today, to be able to provide a full update, and most importantly, to set out our decisions on the next steps forward."

NS: "My remarks today will therefore necessarily be slightly longer than usual, so please bear with me - and thank you to everybody who has tuned in today."

NS: "As you can see, I'm joined by the Chief Medical Officer and the National Clinical Director, and they'll help me answer questions shortly."

NS: "Before that, though, I am able to confirm that the main purpose of my remarks is to give the go-ahead to the move to Level 2, with the associated changes to the Covid rules that had been scheduled for Monday 17th May."

NS: "I can confirm today that that will go ahead as planned in most parts of Scotland - and I'll come back to that point in a second."

NS: "Indeed, in one respect - which I will cover shortly - we are able to go slightly further than previously anticipated."

NS: "However, there are two geographic exceptions to this which I will flag up now, but cover in more detail later."

NS: "In recent days, as you will have seen, Moray has been experiencing a high and increasing number of cases with a small associated increase in hospital admissions. Indeed, public health experts consider that Moray is currently experiencing widespread community transmission."

NS: "It is therefore highly probable, though a final decision will be taken at the end of the week, that Moray will remain in level 3 for a further period - though I hope it will be a relatively short one."

NS: "However – more happily – the situation in some of our island communities is now sufficiently under control that we are able to ease restrictions there more quickly than on the mainland."

NS: "Therefore, from Monday, we expect that island communities will move down to level 1.

I'll come onto that in more detail at a slightly later point, but I wanted to flag up the main decisions at the outset of this statement."

NS: "Normally at this point I would update you on the daily statistics. Unfortunately, I'm not able to do that right now due to a significant IT issue affecting Public Health Scotland this morning."

NS: "I hope that will be resolved soon, and I can assure you that all of today's figures will be published just as quickly as possible. You'll be able to access them when they're published on the Scottish Government website."

NS: "However, what we know from our recent run of daily statistics is over the past three weeks, the huge success of the vaccination programme – and I want to convey my thanks to everyone involved in that..."

NS: "..Its success, coupled with the continued high compliance on the part of the general population, with the various rules and restrictions that have been in place, all of that has combined to ensure a continued suppression of the virus."

NS: "Since I last stood here to give a briefing, cases have continued to fall – from an average of 226 new cases a day to 177 now.

That said, in the last week, we have seen a very slight increase in cases."

NS: "That is driven, largely, by the situation in Moray - which I will come onto a bit more fully shortly - but, together with the emergence of new variants globally, it should be a sharp reminder to all of us that this virus remains a very real threat."

NS: "Notwithstanding the changes I am about to confirm, we must all continue to be careful, responsible and vigilant.

And, of course, our levels system means that we can - and will if required, as you'll see today - apply the brakes to deal with outbreaks as they arise."

NS: "However, the situation overall is a very positive one - and so we are now in a position to relax more restrictions and restore much more normality to our every day lives, which I know is something everybody's desperate to see."

NS: "And that is why I am able to confirm that from next Monday, 17th May, all parts of mainland Scotland, with the highly probable exception of Moray, will move from level 3 to level 2."

NS: "Before I set out what that means, let me address the exceptions.

Firstly, some detail and context on that situation in Moray.

At the moment, across Scotland as a whole, we are seeing 23 new cases a week for every 100,000 people in the population."

NS: "Levels are relatively low, and lower than they've been for a long time, in Scotland as a whole.

In Moray, however, rates are more than 4 times higher, at 94 new cases per 100,000 people."

NS: "As I said earlier, there is, in the opinion of public health experts, widespread community transmission happening in Moray just now."

NS: "Against that backdrop - unless the situation was to materially improve over the next few days - it would not be safe or sensible to ease restrictions there from Monday."

NS: "It is therefore highly probable that Moray will stay at level 3 for a further period.

It is also important that we take precautions to reduce the risk of the transmission of Covid spreading from Moray to other parts of Scotland, as restrictions ease elsewhere."

NS: "So if Moray does stay in level 3 - which will be finally decided at the end of the week - we will also reimpose travel restrictions for a hopefully short period. This will mean that travel in and out of Moray will be limited to permitted purposes only."

NS: "If the decision is to keep Moray at level 3 - and right now, I consider that to be very likely - I can confirm that we will provide additional financial assistance to businesses."

NS: "And given how deeply unwelcome I know this will be for people living in Moray, I can also confirm that we will be doing everything possible to ensure that any extension of level 3 is for as short a period as possible."

NS: "We are already working closely with both Moray Council and Grampian Health Board to reduce case numbers as quickly as possible. For example, a mobile testing unit has been moved to Elgin, and people are being strongly encouraged to take up lateral flow tests."

NS: "I would appeal to everyone living in the Moray region to follow all the public health advice so that we can get the situation back under control as quickly as possible and allow Moray to get back on a positive track as soon as it is safe and possible to do so."

NS: "For our island communities, the situation is different and much more positive. Case numbers have consistently been at very low levels for some time now."

NS: "Many islands also now have very good vaccination coverage, and lateral flow tests are available for all people travelling to the islands from other parts of Scotland."

NS: "For those reasons, we have decided that it is possible to ease restrictions more quickly for communities in the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney for all islands in Highland, except Skye, given its fixed link..."

NS: "..and for the Inner Hebrides islands in Argyll - including Islay, Jura and Mull.

All of these areas will move directly to level 1 from Monday, rather than to level 2.

The full details of what that means are available on the Scottish Government website."

NS: "But, for example, it means fewer restrictions on indoor hospitality.

Everywhere else in Scotland will move to level 2 from Monday. And so I want to spend a little bit of time setting out what that change means in practice."

NS: "It means, firstly, that we will be able to meet outdoors in groups of 8 from up to 8 households – rather than in groups of 6 as is the case now.

And, even more significantly, we will be allowed to meet in each other’s homes, including for overnight stays."

NS: "It was initially intended that, at level 2, up to 4 people from no more than 2 households could meet indoors.

However, we consider that it is possible now to go further.

So from Monday, up to 6 people from 3 households will be able to meet indoors in each other's houses."

NS: "This is still a cautious change.

But it is also a hugely important one.

It is almost eight months now since most of us have been able to meet in each other’s homes – and it has been even longer for those of us living in Glasgow and Lanarkshire."

NS: "I know how much everyone has been looking forward to being able to do that again.

It is one of the simple pleasures of life that I suspect, and hope, that none of us will ever take for granted again."

NS: "This is an important change in and of itself, but I am pleased to say that, in one respect, we consider that it is possible to go further than previously anticipated."

NS: "From Monday, if you are meeting friends and family, within the permitted limits of course, either indoors in a private dwelling or in your garden, our guidance will say that it is no longer necessary to maintain physical distance."

NS: "Which means - and I actually feel a bit emotional as I say this - that from Monday, as long as you stay within permitted limits, you can hug your loved ones again."

NS: "I know how desperate we all are for this - and so I don’t intend to immediately pour cold water on it - but there are two further points I really need to make."

NS: "Firstly, it remains vital to be cautious and ease restrictions carefully - so for the next 3 weeks at least, the easing of the guidance on physical distancing applies to permitted gatherings in our own homes and gardens only."

NS: "However, over that period, we will conduct a wider review of the need for physical distancing in public indoor places and set out the conclusions of that at the next review point.

And secondly, please use careful judgment."

NS: "Close physical contact does still carry risk, I have to be clear about that. So if you have loved ones who are vulnerable for any reason, please still be careful. And limit the overall number of people that you choose to have close physical contact with."

NS: "It is worth making the point that as we go further into the next phases of the pandemic, prescriptive rules and regulations will increasingly give way to greater personal judgment."

NS: "That can and will be difficult - we've all been used to following very rigid rules in the past year - but getting away from that, back to the exercising of personal judgement, is an essential part of that gradual returning to normality."

NS: "So, please, continue to be careful and cautious as we take these next steps forward."

NS: "Let me turn now to the other changes that come with the move to level 2.

In hospitality settings - pubs, restaurants and cafes - groups of up to 6 people from up to 3 households will be allowed to meet together."

NS: "From Monday, alcohol can be served indoors up until 10.30pm. I know that the return of licensed indoors hospitality will be welcomed by businesses and customers across the country."

NS: "A new app – Check in Scotland – was launched at the end of April, to help Test and Protect contact people who need to self isolate. Please download and use that app if you can. Hospitality venues are required to take your contact details, so please co-operate with that."

NS: "There are several other important changes that will come into effect next Monday, subject to appropriate mitigations, of course."

NS: "A number of venues will be able to reopen – including cinemas, theatres, concert halls, comedy clubs, amusement arcades, casinos, snooker halls and bingo halls."

NS: "Amateur performing arts groups will be able to perform outdoors, initially.

Colleges and universities will have more flexibility to resume in-person learning."

NS: "Outdoor adult contact sports can resume.

More than one person will be able to sing during religious services - a change which I know many faith groups will welcome - although at this stage it does not include congregational singing."

NS: "The standard limit for the number of people who can attend specific events will also increase.

From Monday, up to 100 people will be able to attend an indoor event.

Up to 250 people will be able to attend an outdoor event with unrestricted standing."

NS: "And up to 500 people will be able to attend an outdoor event with seating.

It is important to stress that these are standard limits. However, events organisers can make applications to hold bigger events, and they will be assessed accordingly."

NS: "We will continue to review the rules on events, in consultation with the events sector. Updated guidance may well be published during the next three weeks."

NS: "And as I said earlier, we will be reviewing the guidance on physical distancing. That is relevant to the events sector, but also to many other businesses. If it is possible over the next few weeks to relax the current rules and guidance on this, we will do so."

NS: "Finally, I want to confirm that we will make some changes to the rules on international travel."

NS: "At the outset, let me be very clear that we still intend to be highly cautious on international travel - given the risk of new variants - but we consider that the situation now allows us to begin a careful move away from blanket restrictions on non-essential travel."

NS: "From Monday, we will move to a traffic light system, informed by risk assessments prepared by the Joint Biosecurity Centre. These assessments will be based on the state of the pandemic in each country across the world - including the presence of variants of concern."

NS: "If you enter Scotland from a red list country - one of the countries identified as acute-risk under our current regulations - you will still be required to enter a managed isolation hotel and stay there for 10 days."

NS: "Due to changes coming into force from tomorrow, these red list countries will include Turkey, the Maldives and Nepal."

NS: "If you arrive from a country on the amber list - which for now will be the majority of countries - you must self-isolate at home for 10 days, and take two PCR tests during this period."

NS: "We will also introduce a Green List of countries. If you travel from a green list country, you will need to take a PCR test shortly after your arrival, but will not be required to self-isolate."

NS: "The four UK Chief Medical Officers have indicated that green list status should be the exception, rather than the rule, and I very much agree with that approach."

NS: "There will have to be very good reasons for adding a country to the green list and so removing quarantine requirements, and we will not do so lightly."

NS: "I can confirm that the 12 countries and territories on our initial green list will be the same as those announced for England."

NS: "For now, this is a very limited list and includes:

Australia
Brunei
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Iceland
Israel
New Zealand
Portugal
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan de Cunha
Singapore
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands."

NS: "This decision means that, as of now, we have a consistent four nations position on international travel.

I think that is positive - and it has been made possible because the decisions the UK government has arrived at are appropriately cautious."

NS: "I hope this continues to be the case - but I need to stress that the Scottish Government will continue to take the decisions we consider to be right for Scotland.

We will not sign up to decisions that might put our progress at risk."

NS: "We have made so much progress in suppressing the virus within Scotland. We must not put that at risk now, by enabling new variants to enter the country too easily."

NS: "And for that reason, I want to stress one final point very strongly. Even though the rules on non-essential travel are starting to change, that doesn’t mean we're saying non-essential international travel is desirable."

NS: "Everyone should think seriously about whether they need to travel abroad this summer. I know for many people international travel is about family connections and it's understandable people may want to travel for that."

NS: "But when it comes to holidays abroad, my advice continues to be to err on the side of caution and to staycation this summer."

NS: "The importance of following guidance and exercising caution is the note I want to end on.

Next week’s changes are really important. The most important yet."

NS: "I suspect many of you will already be looking forward to meeting up with a friend at home, to having a drink indoors in a pub or restaurant, and to hugging a member of your close family."

NS: "Enjoy those moments when they come. They have been greatly missed and they have been hard-earned by all of us.

And I hope and expect that they will be followed - fairly soon - by further steps in the right direction."

NS: "I hope Moray will be in level 2, if not on Monday then soon. And for the rest of the mainland, I have already said that, if circumstances allow, we will move to level 1 on Monday 7 June, and then level 0 on Monday, 28 June."

NS: "Level 0, of course, still involves restrictions.

So I hope and expect that we can move on to something much more like normality, over the course of the summer, and into the autumn."

NS: "For example, if we can, we will continue to relax physical distancing rules. And when it is safe to do so - for example once all of the adult population is fully vaccinated - we hope to be able to remove these rules altogether. But we can't put a date on that quite yet."

NS: "But in order to ensure that we do continue to make the progress that makes all of this possible, we must continue to exercise good sense and caution.

The more we suppress the virus, the more quickly we are going to be able to open things up."

NS: "So please - continue to work from home if you can.

Use the Check-in Scotland app if you are going to pubs and restaurants.

Download the Protect Scotland app - if you haven’t done it already."

NS: "Continue to be highly cautious about international travel.

And when you are outside, still remember FACTS."

NS: "Wear your face covering, avoid places that are busy, clean your hands and surfaces, still use 2m distancing for people outside your own limited group of family and friends, when you're in your own home or in your garden, and self-isolate and get tested if you have symptoms."

NS: "It's still important that we stick to all of these rules, as so many of us have done now for more than a year, because that is how we continue to look after each other, continue to help the NHS, treat those who need it, and ultimately save lives."

NS: "So I know today's update has been, as I warned you, longer than normal, Gregor and Jason will be getting sore legs as we stand here, but I hope you think it's a positive one."

NS: "It's been hard-earned, but we must keep doing all the right things so we continue to move in this positive, forward direction.

Thank you for bearing with me, and thank you for listening."