April is a huge month for Scotland, as strict lockdown restrictions will be eased, leading to a “glimmer of hope” that things are slowly returning back to normal.
Today, a major change has been made to Scottish Government guidance, with the “stay at home” message being replaced by the less restrictive “stay local.”
This means that people across mainland Scotland can now make non-essential journeys within their local authority area.
You can now leave your home more often, and not just to exercise, shop, or go to doctor’s appointments.
However, restrictions remain in place on travelling across local authority boundaries.
People must stay within their council area unless for essential reasons similar to the current lockdown.
Working from home also remains the standard, so that unnecessary social contact can be avoided.
Changes from Monday
Monday brings more hope, as further restrictions will be eased in the retail sector.
Hairdressers and barbers can reopen on an appointment-only basis, which will be a great relief to some.
Garden centres such as Dobbies can open once again, along with car showrooms and forecourts.
Homeware stores such as B&Q and Homebase can reopen, along with non-essential click and collect services like those operated by Next.
Obviously, enhanced safety measures will need to be adhered to, including physical distancing, face coverings, and pre-booking where appropriate.
More college students will be able to return to university campuses and 12-17 year-olds will be able to resume outdoor contact sports like football and rugby.
Why can these changes be made?
Well, it is because data is showing that Covid is being suppressed across Scotland, mainly due to the ongoing lockdown and vaccination campaign.
Virtually all over-65s have now received a first dose of the vaccine, and the average daily case rate is now 539 new cases per day, a decline of more than 75% since early January.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged continued caution as she welcomed restrictions being eased across mainland Scotland.
She said: “We have made progress both in suppressing the virus and in vaccination, and therefore the changes I previously indicated will go ahead on 2 and 5 April.
“The stay at home rule is being replaced by a requirement to stay local – while Covid levels remain high in some areas, and while a lot of people remain unvaccinated, we do not want the virus to spread from areas with relatively high prevalence to areas with low rates of infection.
“That’s why the current travel restrictions, which prevent non-essential travel outside your local authority area, are really important.
“It will be easier to relax more restrictions in the future if case numbers remain under control, so when things open up slightly this weekend please continue to stick to the rules, and follow the advice and the instructions given by store staff to keep you and the other customers safe.
“Stay at home – for now – protect the NHS, and follow the FACTS advice when you are out and about to help save lives.”