Parliamentary Statement - Tuesday 16 February 2021

Key points from the parliamentary statement given by the First Minister on Tuesday 16 February 2021.

• The core stay at home requirement will remain in place until at least the beginning of March - and possibly for a further period beyond that, although not for longer than necessary.

• The Scottish Government is currently preparing a revised strategic framework, which will set out in much more detail when and how we might gradually emerge from this lockdown.

• It hopes to publish the new framework next week following discussions with the other parties in parliament, and also with business organisations, trade unions, third sector bodies and others.

• It will detail the broad order of priority for re-opening, including what a return to a geographic levels approach might look like in due course.

• It will continue to prioritise education, followed by greater family contact and the phased re-opening of the economy, probably with non-essential retail starting to open first.

• And it will be clear on the trade-offs - not least continued travel restrictions - that will be necessary to make more normality within our own borders possible.

• The Scottish Government is likely to advise against booking Easter holidays, either overseas or within Scotland, as it is highly unlikely that hotels or self-catering accommodation will be able to fully open by then.

• However, for the summer, while it is still highly unlikely that overseas holidays will be possible or advisable, staycations might be - but this will depend on the data nearer the time.

• For now, we must continue to abide by the stay at home requirement.

Further information

Read the First Ministers full statement, which includes further details of the phased re-opening of schools.

Read the Coronavirus (COVID-19): stay at home guidance.