FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to broadcast an emergency coronavirus statement to the nation after a warning that England's easing of lockdown does not apply to Scotland.
The broadcast will be at 5.55pm this evening on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland channels.
The FM is expected to clarify Scotland's position on lockdown.
Earlier today she urged journalists to be clear that Boris Johnson’s easing of coronavirus lockdown rules applies only to England.
Sturgeon also hit out at the Prime Minister for giving a “misleading impression” on how wide-ranging his roadmap out of coronavirus is.
During his TV address on Sunday night, Johnson failed to mention that his plans to get people back to work and out of the house more, applied only to England.
Speaking at the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon made “a respectful plea” to the press, urging them to “make it clear to your readers, listeners and viewers what the actual situation is in different parts of the UK”.
The total number of deaths among coronavirus patients in Scotland now stands at 1862 after it was announced this afternoon that five more people had died since yesterday.
READ MORE: Five more people die in Scotland after contracting Covid-19
The Prime Minister unveiled a series of updates to his strategy in a pre-recorded speech from Downing Street at 7pm last night.
He unveiled the UK Government’s new slogan urging the country to ‘Stay Alert to Control the Virus and Save Lives’ – phrasing that ditches the ‘Stay At Home’ message used since lockdown began in March.
In what he called “a change of emphasis” the Prime Minister said that “anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work”. He also said some primary school pupils could return by June 1 “at the earliest” while there are plans for the “phased reopening” of shops at the same time.
The UK Government published a "road map" out of lockdown after public confusion over Johnson's statement.
It states that people can travel long distances to see their family and friends, as long as they respect social distancing rules.
However, it clarifies that people from England should not be making trips to other parts of the UK.
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