A third of Scotland’s adult population have been given a coronavirus vaccine, which Nicola Sturgeon has called a "significant milestone".
More than 1.5 million jabs have now been administered across the country.
Speaking to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, the First Minister said 1,515,980 people in Scotland have received their first dose.
“The fact that more than one and a half million people have now received the first dose of vaccination is, I think, a really significant milestone,” she said.
“We’ve now given a first dose to almost exactly one third of the adult population and that includes virtually everyone in the top four clinical priority groups recommended by the JCVI.”
Wales became the first UK nation to administer a first dose to the equivalent of a third of its adult population on Friday.
At that time, the figure was 32.1% in England and 31.3% in Scotland, with Thursday’s figures for Northern Ireland at 29.4%.
Ms Sturgeon added that 85% of 65 to 69-year-olds have received a first dose, with the Scottish Government on course to meet its target of offering a vaccine to everyone in this group by late March.
First doses will be offered to everyone over 50 and those with underlying health conditions by April 15, she said.
The First Minister also gave the latest Covid-19 statistics for Scotland.
She said Scotland has recorded 31 deaths from coronavirus and 769 positive tests in the past 24 hours.
It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 7,084.
Ms Sturgeon said 200,406 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 199,637 the previous day.
Until we’ve all been vaccinated, we all need to protect each other.
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) February 24, 2021
Here’s what we need to do to keep each other safe.#WeAreScotland pic.twitter.com/ImpW5rTgTi
There are 967 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 51 in 24 hours, and 89 patients are in intensive care, down four.
The latest vaccination milestone bodes well for the Scottish Government's plan on how coronavirus measures will be eased in Scotland, contingent on the virus continuing to be supressed and vaccine targets being met.
The dates are indicative and could be revised - but here is what was set out.
Scotland's exit strategy
On Monday, children between the ages of four and eight in primaries one to three returned to school, along with some senior secondary pupils who need to do practical work for qualifications and nursery-age children.
Restrictions on care home visiting will also ease from early March.
From March 15
Four people from two households can meet up outside.
The current limit is two people from two households.
All primary school children will go back to class, with those in primaries four to seven joining their younger classmates who returned on Monday.
More senior secondary pupils will also return.
Children aged 12 – 17 can take part in outdoor non-contact group sports.
From April 5
The stay at home order will be lifted.
All pupils should be back in school.
Some retail will begin to return, with the definition of essential retail extended and restrictions on click-and collect services removed.
Six people from two households can meet together outdoors.
Churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship can reopen.
Ms Sturgeon indicated that the exact return date for communal worship will take into account the timing of major religious festivals, with Easter and Passover falling on April 4.
From April 26
Scotland will move back to its five tiers of coronavirus restrictions, with Level 0 the least restrictive and Level 4 most.
All areas are currently in Level 4, with Ms Sturgeon saying from April 26 “hopefully all of Scotland” will move to Level 3, “albeit with some possible modifications”.
Non-essential retail, hospitality, and gyms and hairdressers can reopen in Level 3, though under current rules alcohol cannot be served in pubs.
She added that at this stage “we will begin to reopen the economy and society in the more substantial way that we are all so longing for”.
Other restrictions
Ms Sturgeon said the easing requires “continuing to accept some trade-offs for a period, for example on international travel”.
She said: “Travel restrictions are also essential and are likely to remain so for some time yet.
“We saw over the summer how new cases were imported into Scotland, after the virus had almost been eliminated. We do not want that to happen again.”
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