SCOTLAND’S national clinical director has said the two-metre rule will change – but he is not “entirely sure” when that will happen.

His comments come as it looks likely that the Prime Minister will reduce the physical distancing rule from two metres to one metre south of the Border later.

A growing number of sectors are calling for the measure to brought down amid efforts to return to normality continue. Some businesses are fearful that they will struggle to stay open if customers must stay two metres apart, while it’s thought it will be tough to get pupils back to school full-time with the rule still in place.

However while Scotland has made progress with Covid-19, with the First Minister last week saying she felt more optimistic than she has for a long time, Nicola Sturgeon has stressed the virus has not gone away.

READ MORE: Covid-19 in Scotland: One positive case found for every 200 tests

The two-metre social distancing rule has been a key part of the public health response to tackling the highly infectious coronavirus.

Speaking to the BBC this morning, Jason Leitch spoke of the progress made in tackling Covid-19 and how that means different decisions could be made going forward.

He said: “That means, in the round, the package of measures can change. That’s why we can do things like add a bubble if you are a single person, we can ask the shielded group to say ‘you can now meet people outside’.

“I think you will see, over the next week and weeks, gradual opening up of that.”

He went on: “I don’t think we are going to be physically distanced forever. We are going to learn to live with this infectious disease, like we live with tuberculosis and flu. I think physical distancing will change. I am just not entirely sure when.”

The Scottish Government has said the two-metre rule is under constant review.