DOUGLAS Ross is demanding that Nicola Sturgeon speed up plans to lift lockdown to keep pace with Boris Johnson.

It comes amid warnings from senior scientists that the UK Government’s easing proposals could spark a third wave of coronavirus infections and deaths.

The Scottish Tory leader cited the success of the vaccine rollout, with more than 2.5 million Scots having received their first dose and 450,000 having received their second. He also noted that transmission rates have dropped, with hospitalisations falling from 824 to 215 over the last month.

As it stands, restrictions on hospitality, leisure and outdoor sports are due to be lifted in Scotland on May 17, with pubs, restaurants and cafes allowed to reopen with a closing time of 10.30pm.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon rejects plea from Douglas Ross to copy Westminster's lockdown plan

But Ross wants to bring these plans forward three weeks, to April 26, with the exception of indoor gatherings.

It comes after Boris Johnson announced he would be “going to the pub myself” when beer gardens reopen in England on April 12 under the Tory administration’s more aggressive lockdown easing plans.

Unlike the Prime Minister, who earmarked June 21, Ross did not set a date for lifting all of the main restrictions. Nonetheless, he condemned the Scottish Government for being what he considers overly cautious.

In a column for the Scottish Daily Mail, he wrote: “Despite the positives, the SNP still have us on the same timetable, a slower timetable than anywhere else in the UK. Faced with a more optimistic scenario than even the experts predicted, Nicola Sturgeon has done nothing. She kept Scotland stuck with the same old plan.”

The Moray MP cotinued: “The Scottish Government should be seriously considering bringing forward firmer dates for lifting restrictions beyond mid-May. Let’s stop leaving people in the dark. People are waiting to get on with their lives. Let’s not have them wait any longer than necessary.

“We can now afford to be more optimistic about our route map out of restrictions. We can kick-start the mammoth task of undoing the damage that coronavirus has done to people’s lives and livelihoods sooner. We can start rebuilding Scotland now.

“Let’s get on that road to recovery and give Scotland hope that better days are coming soon.”

In a statement issued by the Scottish Tories, Ross stated: "We now believe the evidence is in favour of a more optimistic routemap out of restrictions, while still remaining cautious."

Nicola Sturgeon is today setting out further plans for the country’s route out of lockdown.

The National: Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon

Asked about Ross’s calls to accelerate the lockdown plans, a Scottish Government spokesman told the Sun: “Our intent remains to suppress the virus to the lowest possible level and keep it there, while we strive to return to a more normal life for as many people as possible.”

Scientists in England have warned that the UK could face a “resurgence” in infections after Johnson announced fast track plans to lift restrictions.

Dr Mike Tildesley, from the University of Warwick and a member of the Spi-M modelling group which advises the UK Government, said “there may well be” a third wave in the UK but probably not as high as some modelling predicts.

He said there could be a potential rise in infections as more social mixing is permitted.

And Professor Sir Mark Walport, former chief scientific adviser to the UK Government, said “very good progress” was being made on the road map – but a third wave was possible if the brakes are taken off completely.

It comes after a paper from experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggested that lifting restrictions in the next stage of England's road map “may lead to a small surge of cases and deaths”.

And their modelling suggested that England's stage four easing in June, when restrictions are expected to be lifted completely, could “lead to a larger surge of cases and deaths comparable to that seen during the first wave”.

READ MORE: Concerns over new coronavirus surge similar to first wave as UK restrictions ease

But business owners in Scotland have warned that the restrictions could be disastrous for the hospitality sector.

Stephen Montgomery, spokesperson from the Scottish Hospitality Group, said: "A day of reckoning is coming for debt strapped Scottish businesses and as politicians prioritise the electoral trail, they are needlessly cutting a financial lifeline.

“The only certainty the SHG can take from this roadmap is that our strategic grant support will be ended on April 19.”

He added: “We are relieved that some hotels and restaurants will be able to open this month, but Scottish ministers cannot just wash their hands of the thousands of operators left stranded and unable to trade viably.

"These constraints are simply not feasible for most bars and the late-night premises that will remain closed for weeks if not months, and we are calling for a workable solution."