Lockdown restrictions are to be eased next week, as long as numbers of cases and deaths continue to fall, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

Nicola Sturgeon announced the much anticipated “route map” plan in the Scottish Parliament today.

However, Ms Sturgeon said we must be wary of a second wave which she said the“danger” of which was “very real”.

The proposals include seeing friends and family and some outdoor workplaces re-opening.

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The First Minister said there is some confidence the R (reproduction) number is consistently below 1 and Ms Sturgeon said it was time to consider easing some measures.

She said she expects the first steps can be taken next week at the next review.

The route map shows four phases with small gradual steps to a return to more normal life.

It covers seeing friends and family, schools workplaces, travel and leisure.

Providing we continue to make progress and see no regression, the Scottish Government intends to ease lockdown at phase one next week.

Phase one of easing lockdown would see more outdoor activity permitted – such as being able to sit in the park, as long as physically distanced.

Meeting up with another household outdoors, in small numbers, including in gardens, but with physical distancing required.

No public gatherings permitted except for meetings of two households, outdoors and with physical distancing.

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She said schools are polanned to re-open on August 11.

It also states remote working remains the default position for those who can.

For those workplaces that are reopening, employers should encourage staggered start times and flexible working.

Non-essential outdoor workplaces with physical distancing resume once relevant guidance agreed.

Garden centres and plant nurseries can reopen with physical distancing.

Teachers would return to school to begin preparing for a return to education but children are not expected to return to classes until August.

It comes as Scotland saw a fall in the weekly death total for the third week in a row and the number of people in hospital and in intensive care continued to fall.

She said until May 28 the lockdown restrictions remain in place.