DOUGLAS Ross has urged for a return to normality in Scotland despite rising case numbers.

The Scottish Conservative leader says Scots will have to “learn to live” with coronavirus in the future, calling on Nicola Sturgeon to lift restrictions.

It comes following a move from Boris Johnson to lift all remaining Covid rules in England from July 19 – the same day Scotland is due to move to Level 0.

Douglas Ross wants the Scottish Government to move a step further, lifting the rules ahead of Scotland’s ‘Freedom Day’ on August 9.

READ MORE: Jason Leitch explains why Scotland now tops Europe's Covid hotspot list

Ross told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme: "Every death is a tragedy and we have already seen far too many days here in Scotland, across UK and around the world from this virus, but we do have to learn to live with it.

"People die from a number of ailments all the time and we have to learn to live with COVID-19.

"It is going to be with us going forward, and I think it is time to start to get our lives back to normal as much as possible.

"That's what we've told businesses and individuals and families here in Scotland, that's why we're working towards that 19th of July date to move to Level 0, and obviously the 9th of August date to see the bulk of the restrictions removed here in Scotland.

"We do need to get life back to normal."

As we reported earlier, Scotland is currently experiencing a steep rise in positive cases, linked to the Delta variant of the virus.

It was revealed in recent days that six Scottish health boards are among the top 10 worst-hit regions in Europe for Covid cases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

NHS Tayside has the highest rate, with 1,146 cases per 100,000 people.

Lothian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Fife, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire and Arran health boards are also in the top 10, along with north-east and north-west England.

Scotland’s national clinical director, Jason Leitch, claims that a lack of “natural immunity” in the population has caused the spike in cases.

He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: “Scotland has had some of the highest numbers across the UK and Europe.

“A couple of reasons for ours – seeded in Delta is the fundamental reason, the virus is the reason.

“It’s got seeded into our biggest, dense city in Glasgow and we’ve got less natural immunity because we haven’t been at the top of this league table throughout the pandemic.

“It’s not a league table you want to top, and I want to get us off there as quick as we possibly can.”