Nicola Sturgeon set to make lockdown announcement

Nicola Sturgeon is set to update MSPs on Scotland’s coronavirus restrictions. Her statement to parliament comes as Boris Johnson moved to delay England’s ‘Freedom Day’.

Previously, the First Minister said she’d hoped Scotland could move to level zero of the government’s roadmap out of restrictions on June 28 Nicola Sturgeon. However, with a spike in the number of cases linked to Delta or Indian variant, that now seems unlikely. 

Jason Leitch, Scotland’s national clinical director, said restrictions could be in place until the end of August.

He said the Indian variant meant it would be unsafe to lift restrictions until all vulnerable groups had received two doses. 

Leitch said: "The Delta variant has changed the game in one crucial way.

"Everything still works - distancing, ventilation, handwashing all still works - but what's new about the Delta variant, and this is horrid, and we've learned it increasingly over the last few weeks, is the second dose is required for decent protection.

"You get about 30 per cent protection from one dose, you get 80 to 85 per cent from two.

"So therefore, if you're thinking of this as a timeline, we've lost about eight to 10 weeks on that journey.

Last night, the Prime Minister pushed back the easing of restrictions in England by a month - until June 19 - moving to ramp up the vaccination programme in an effort to get as many  Johnson said it was “sensible to wait just a little longer”.

In a press conference from Downing Street, he said: “Now is the time to ease off the accelerator. Because, by being cautious now we have the chance in the next four weeks to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people.”

The only exceptions to the delay in England will be the 30-person limit for weddings, which will be scrapped from Monday. Crowds will also be allowed into large sports events such as Euro 2020 matches, Wimbledon and the British Formula 1 Grand Prix.