SCOTS will be allowed to see their family and friends in groups of up to eight people from tomorrow as long as they stay outside, Nicola Sturgeon said today.
The First Minister said people should only meet with one other household at a time – ahead of Boris Johnson revealing further tweaks to lockdown in England.
Scotland has followed England in allowing people to spend unlimited time outdoors to sunbathe and have picnics – but they will be able to meet another entire household instead of just one person in England.
Mr Johnson is expected to announce tonight whether the five crucial tests for lifting lockdown have been met – and how restrictions will further be eased.
Ms Sturgeon said today: “From tomorrow, the regulations on meeting other people will change – you and your household will be able to meet with another household outdoors in a park or in a private garden.
“This should be in small groups, we are asking for a the total number of the group to be a maximum of eight people – but please keep it to less than that if you can.”
The new rules mean families will be able to reunite and grandparents see their grandchildren for the first time in months – but people won’t be able to meet more than one household a day.
In England, people are not allowed to meet family and friends in private gardens.
Ms Sturgeon clarified the idea of “social bubbles” had been scrapped – and people were able to meet multiple households, as long as they did it one at a time.
She said: “I am not saying you must pick one household and only meet with them, you can meet with more than one household, but (we ask) not more than one household at a time or more than one household a day.”
She said acknowledge the long, hard slog Scots have had to endure in lockdown, while England gently started easing restrictions two weeks ago.
Scotland has an R rate – or rate of transmission of the virus – of between 0.7 and 1, but Ms Sturgeon said her experts believe that number has been below 1 for at least three weeks.
The R number is the number of people infected by one person with coronavirus.
Ms Sturgeon admitted she felt “nervous” about easing restrictions.
She said: “I worry the limited changes we are making, the very careful changes, might lead to much greater changes in reality.
“I really need your help to make sure that is not the case… please be respectful of each others space and make sure things still feel different to normal, because they should feel different to normal.”
Scots will also be able to restart activities that can be done at a safe, social distance including golf, tennis and fishing.
Scottish students will also head back to classrooms on August 11 with a mix of at school and home learning.
Boris Johnson is expected to confirm today if schools will reopen next week and how further lockdown restrictions can be eased – including letting outdoor markets and car showrooms reopen.
There may even be more news on when Britain can start meeting family and friends again.
At the moment only two people can meet up outside, but HOAR revealed this week two households will be able to have BBQs and garden parties in the coming weeks.
