CORONAVIRUS travel restrictions in Scotland are to be eased from Friday and more people will be able to meet up outdoors.

Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that a reduction in the prevalence of the virus meant some acceleration of planned lockdown easing was possible to support mental health and wellbeing.

From Friday, people will be able to leave their local authority area for the purposes of socialising, recreation or exercise, though travel between the mainland and some islands will not be permitted. Rules on gatherings will also be relaxed, with six adults from up to six households able to meet up outside.

The current lockdown easing plan will see cafes, restaurants and beer gardens open on April 26, along with shops, gyms, libraries and museums.

Hospitality will need to close their doors at 8pm indoors and 10pm outdoors, with alcohol only allowed to be served outside.

Travel will also be allowed on this date to other parts of the UK, with reviews planned on journeys to Northern Ireland and the Republic.

From May 17, pubs are set to open indoors until 10.30pm and contact sports, cinemas and some small-scale events can take place. Up to four people from two households will also be able to meet up indoors.

READ MORE: Scotland records lowest number of daily Covid cases since September

The First Minister added that she was confident the country will move down levels as planned. “We are now extremely confident that those parts of the country currently in level 4 will move to level 3 on April 26, that’s now less than two weeks away,” she said.

“That means, amongst other things, that on that day shops will fully re-open. Pubs, cafes and restaurants will also be able to fully open outdoors on April 26 and will be able to open indoors on that date, but on a restricted basis.”

Chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “What we’re seeing just now is a transition phase.

“Because of the success of the vaccination programme, we are seeing a decoupling of the infection numbers we are having across the country and the way they have traditionally translated into severe illness and deaths.

“That whole assessment of risk is now changing.”

Figures in the hospitality industry responded to the First Minister’s announcement. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, said: “This is a positive announcement for our sector but unfortunately falls short of what is required to make licensed premises viable. We desperately need a return to licensing hours indoors, as well as allowing alcohol to be sold indoors from April 26.”

Sturgeon announced that Scotland had recorded three deaths from coronavirus and 221 positive tests in the previous 24 hours. It brought the death toll under this measure to 7633.

The First Minister said 222,382 people had tested positive as a total in Scotland, up from 222,161 the previous day. The daily test positivity rate was 1.6%, down from 2.4%.

There were 133 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 21 in 24 hours, and 20 patients were in intensive care, down one.

Sturgeon said 2,682,706 people had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, up 13,983 on Monday, and 605,126 had received their second dose.