Nicola Sturgeon will deliver a Covid update to the Scottish Parliament today.

The First Minister has confirmed she will be providing MSPs with details of the revised strategic framework document.

The framework will not set out hard and fast dates for the easing of all restrictions but will set out an indicative order of priority and the likely phasing of the lifting of the current lockdown restrictions and a return of the geographic level system. 

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What has Nicola Sturgeon said about Scotland’s route map out of lockdown?

The First Minister is due to announce a road map out of lockdown today in Holyrood. 

Nicola Sturgeon has said that there is room for optimism, “sure and steady” is the way to approach the exit from lockdown adding that it would give indications of the phasing of the easing of restrictions, but it would not provide dates for reopening.

At a Covid briefing on the subject ahead of Boris Johnson’s announcement yesterday she said: "We will seek to set out tomorrow an indicative order of priority and the likely phasing of firstly the gradual lifting of the current lockdown restrictions and then in due course, a return to the geographic levels system when we would decide whether all or parts of the country may move out of Level 4 and into Level 3, and of course that's the part where more parts of the economy will start to open up.

"This will be a cautious way forward because it's really important that as we come out of this lockdown, we do so sustainably."

Scotland will return to the geographic levels system after lockdown is lifted, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

How to watch Nicola Sturgeon's Covid update

You’ll be able to watch Nicola Sturgeon's address live on the Scottish Parliament TV channel, BBC Scotland, and Facebook.

What time is Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid update?

The update will take place around 2:20pm with the First Minister updating MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. 

What restrictions are currently in place?

Although some younger pupils and senior pupils returned to school, businesses - including restaurants, bars and gyms have been closed across mainland Scotland since January 4.

All other primary and secondary pupils will continue to use remote learning until at least the beginning of March.

This excludes vulnerable children and those of key workers.

Senior pupils in S4-S6 who have practical assignments to complete will be allowed to return on a "part-time" basis, with no more than 8 per cent of the school roll attending "at any one time".

A “Stay at Home” order has been in place since lockdown began. 

Who is currently being vaccinated?

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that from this week, Scotland is moving to give the vaccine to priority group 6. 

Group six is the largest group which has been vaccinated thus far, being made up of around one million people, the First Minister said.

At a coronavirus briefing she said: "Firstly, an update on the vaccination programme. As of 8:30 this morning, 1,445,488 people in Scotland have received the first dose - that's an increase of 13,546 since yesterday.

"As you know, we've had slightly lower supplies of the vaccine in recent days, which is why the daily number has gone down - but we expect to see it ramped up in the weeks to come.

"Uptake in all initial priority categories, which are JCVI categories 1 to 4, has been extraordinarily high. For example, we've now given a first dose to 96% of 70-74-year-olds - and an even higher proportion to 75-79-year-olds.

READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: Vaccination linked to 'substantial reduction' in hospital admissions

"We are well on track to have offered the vaccine to all 65-69-year-olds, which is JCVI priority group 5, by early March.

"This week, we are also now starting to vaccinate people with the first dose in priority group 6 - including people with certain underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or a severe or profound learning disability.

What can we expect and what are Scotland’s lockdown levels?

Nicola Sturgeon said that there will be some similarities to England's route out of lockdown. 

Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing on Monday, Ms Sturgeon said: "Our plans out of lockdown will not be identical, they are already not identical because we've got some kids back in school today which is not the case in England until into March, so we will not be identical but I think there will be broad similarities."

She said Boris Johnson is likely to set out a "careful and cautious" way forward, which she welcomed, adding it is "vital that we learn from past experiences".

Ms Sturgeon said: "Similar to us, it seems that they have prioritised children and education and getting life back to normal before doing other things.

"So I think the principles will be the same - we're living through the same pandemic.

"There is a limit to how much it is sensible to diverge in the circumstances we're facing in common but clearly we will make our own judgments about the particular order and the particular timing of that because the data is not identical in each of the four nations."
Ms Sturgeon said her road map would give indications of the phasing of restrictions easing, but would not provide reopening dates.

She said: "We will seek to set out tomorrow an indicative order of priority and the likely phasing of firstly the gradual lifting of the current lockdown restrictions and then in due course, a return to the geographic levels system when we would decide whether all or parts of the country may move out of Level 4 and into Level 3, and of course that's the part where more parts of the economy will start to open up.

"This will be a cautious way forward because it's really important that as we come out of this lockdown, we do so sustainably."

She also confirmed that the aim would be to move to the levels once again. 

The Herald: Lockdown levels previously used in ScotlandLockdown levels previously used in Scotland

Scotland was operating at Covid levels prior to the latest lockdown. Please note the above picture is from November 2020., 

The levels had a host of rules and restrictions in place in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19.