Sturgeon unveils cautious framework for easing lockdown in Scotland

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday set out a framework for easing coronavirus restrictions that was markedly more cautious than the UK government’s route map for England but aims to move Scotland out of national lockdown by the last week in April.

The plan makes clear that there is unlikely to be any easing of restrictions on the retail sector before the second week of April, with further “graduated opening up of economic and social activity” only expected at least three weeks after that.

Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, on Monday set out a four-step road map to end all Covid-19 restrictions by mid-June.

Unlike in England, which will follow a nationwide easing of lockdown, Sturgeon indicated that she aimed to return to a tiered system of restrictions, allowing more regional variation, in late April.

Some business groups said they were disappointed by the more cautious Scottish approach and its lack of detail. “Time is of the essence. For many thousands of businesses, our debt is increasing and our cash running out,” said Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

“We would rather the Scottish government would have applied the same amount of rigour to our road map as the UK government in order to prevent further damage to Scottish businesses . . . otherwise our ability to plan and invest is hamstrung,” Cameron said.

But Sturgeon said there was too much uncertainty about new coronavirus variants and the impact of vaccination to commit to a detailed schedule.

“If we open up too quickly to meet arbitrary dates, we risk setting our progress back,” she wrote in the road map, in comments likely to be seen as implicit criticism of Johnson’s approach.

“I understand that people, organisations and businesses want certainty for the future. But to set dates that are too definite now would be irresponsible,” Sturgeon wrote.

Scotland has frequently taken a more cautious line on lockdown than the government in London since the breakdown of an initial pan-UK approach last year, although it did open some primary schools on Monday, two weeks before pupils in England are due to return.

The opposition Scottish Conservatives said the road map fell short of public expectations by not giving details of easing plans for after April 26.

“We didn’t get information about when measures like social distancing will end and when we will be able to do something as basic as give a loved one a hug,” said Ruth Davidson, Tory leader in the Scottish parliament.

“This isn’t a route map out of Covid, it is holding document,” she said.

The Scottish plan aims, in mid-March, to allow the return of more pupils to schools and to increase the number of people who can meet outdoors from two to four. In early April, schools might fully reopen, places of worship partially reopen and the list of approved essential retail be “expanded slightly”.

“[The return to regional levels] will enable the graduated opening up of economic and social activity, at a pace that is safe given epidemiological condition,” the framework plan said.