SCOTLAND’S coronavirus lockdown is expected to be eased slightly at the end of this month, Nicola Sturgeon has suggested.

The First Minister announced some leisure activities such as golf and fishing may be able to restart and people may be able to meet one person from a different household outside if progress continues to be made in suppressing the virus in the coming weeks.

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Speaking at the daily press briefing yesterday, the First Minister said a route map, to be published on Thursday, should also allow for the re-opening of garden centres and recycling facilities in the first phase of the exit.

“I can confirm today that we will publish on Thursday a route map setting out our phased approach to easing lockdown measures,” she said.

“This will take account of the up-to-date estimates of the transmission rate, or R number, and the number of cases.”

Sturgeon added it will also take account of the latest National Records of Scotland report due tomorrow on the number of deaths from Covid-19.

“The route map we publish on Thursday will give a more detailed indication of the order in which we will carefully and gradually seek to lift current restrictions.

“Now, like other countries, we will not be able to put firm dates on all of the different phases as timings must be driven by data and evidence.”

She added that Thursday’s route map will confirm that assuming there was progress in suppressing the virus, the first phase will start from the next review date of May 28.

Sturgeon said: “Within a few days of that we will aim to allow, for example, more outdoor activities such as being able to sit in the park, meet up outdoors with someone from another household as long as you stay socially distanced, some limited outdoor sporting activities like golf and fishing, the opening of garden centres and recycling facilities and the resumption of some outdoor work.”

She said the first phase would coincide with a test, trace and isolate strategy to keep the virus under control.

The news emerged as the number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths in Scotland rose to 2105 yesterday morning, according to the latest Health Protection Scotland figures, up by two on the previous day.

The First Minister issued a note of caution over the death figures, saying although these can be registered at the weekend, registrations tend to be lower.

A total of 14,594 people have tested positive for Covid-19, the officials figures showed, a rise of 57 on Sunday’s figure of 14,537.

The First Minister said there are 1427 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, up 119 from 1308 on Sunday. Of these, 63 are in intensive care, a rise of four.

She said more information will also be given about when schools might re-open.

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Sturgeon told the briefing: “Within two weeks, my hope is that we will be taking some concrete steps on the journey back to normality.

“As I’ve said before, it won’t be normality as we knew it because the virus will not have gone away, but it will be a journey to a better balance – I hope – than the one we have today.

“As we take each step, we must make sure that the ground beneath us is as solid as possible.

“That’s why sticking with the lockdown restrictions a bit longer to suppress the virus more is so important because that will mean we can start to take these steps with the confidence that we have alternative means of effectively keeping it under control.”

The First Minister said for the moment there is no change to the lockdown advice currently being circulated by the Scottish Government.

She also announced an expansion in testing to anyone over the age of five with any of the symptoms. Appointments for these tests can be booked online and will be available at the drive-in centres across the country, or through any of the mobile testing centres.

Key workers will still be prioritised for the tests, the First Minister confirmed.

Meanwhile, referencing the change announced yesterday to include the loss of taste or smell in coronavirus symptoms, she said this should now be a reason for people to self-isolate.

The strategy to be taken by the Scottish Government on easing the lockdown will echo the one taken in Northern Ireland. First Minister Arlene Foster’s blueprint last week took a five stage phased approach.