BREAKING NEWS: Scotland lifts restrictions on July 19

SCOTLAND will ease its restrictions on July 19.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that restrictions in Scotland will be lifted from alongside those in England.

Ms Sturgeon made the announcement saying that while measures would be lifted, masks must still be worn.

She said: “So while Scotland will move to Level 0 from next Monday, we will do so with certain modifications to our indicative plans.

“This is intended to ensure that our pace of easing restrictions is sensible in light of the challenge we continue to face from the Delta variant.

“And I will confirm that certain mitigations – such as the mandatory wearing of face coverings – will remain in place, not just now but, in all likelihood, for some time to come.

“Measures like the continued wearing of face coverings are important, not just to give added protection to the population as a whole, but also to give protection and assurance to those amongst us who are particularly vulnerable and previously had to shield.”

The news comes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid MP confirmed that the UK’s government will go ahead with its plan for July 19 in England.

In what Sajid Javid called a “major milestone for this country,” the move to step four on 19 July will see restrictions eased across the country and all businesses that have been closed during the pandemic, including nightclubs, reopen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson later gave a conference speaking about the government’s plan and urging UK nationals to continue to be careful as infection rates rise.

He said: “We think now is the right moment to proceed … But it is absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution.”

He added: “To take these steps we must be cautious and must be vaccinated,” he said, adding that England would see “more hospitalisations and more deaths from Covid.”

He said: “I generally urge everyone to keep thinking of others and to consider the risks.”

The government will also be allowing vaccinated UK nationals to travel back from amber list countries, including Spain, from July 19 without quarantine ahead of the summer.

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