One of Scotland's leading public health experts has said the country's Covid situation would be 'sustainable' and expects the First Minister to proceed with the easing of restrictions. 

Professor of public health at Edinburgh University Linda Bauld told BBC radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme that she expects the country will move to the next stage as planned.

She said: “What I’m expecting to hear from the information I have that’s publicly available, is we will proceed to Level 0 on July 19.

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“The situation, although still fragile, does seem to be showing some signs of being certainly sustainable, as in we’re able to cope with it."

The expert said Scotland may be past the peak observed in the past few weeks, when daily cases reached more than 4,000 but caution would still be required.

“We may well be past the peak… I’m hoping what we’re seeing is a consistent trend."

She added: “What the Scottish Government will want to avoid is what is happening in Europe now.

“The Netherlands has seen an over 700% increase in cases. They’ve had to close nightclubs again, put restrictions on bars and restaurants, they’ve had to cancel mass events.

“I think the Scottish Government will want to continue to move forward, but Level 0 is not a huge jump, it’s a relatively modest jump to the next stage.”

Nicola Sturgeon is due to update a virtually-recalled Scottish Parliament today.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon to give Covid update today on plans for Level 0 move

Her announcement follows Boris Johnson’s, who yesterday outlined England's plans for so-called Freedom Day on July 19. 

While England will scrap most pandemic measures, Scotland's First Minister is likely to take a more cautious approach. 

According to the Scottish Government’s roadmap, Scotland is set to enter Level 0 on July 19, while all legal restrictions will be lifted on August 9.