What time is Nicola Sturgeon's Covid lockdown update today?
Nicola Sturgeon is set to provide Scottish Parliament with a Covid lockdown update today as cases around Scotland continue to rise. She is expected to confirm that the nationwide move to level 0 planned for 28 June will be delayed, with Scotland recording the highest rate of Covid infection in Europe. Despite making the official announcement in Parliament today, the First Minister has already hinted that it is unlikely that any area will move down a level and that the easing of restrictions will be slowed to prevent worsening the current situation. Ms Sturgeon will address the Scottish Parliament at around 2.15pm and provide an updated plan for the easing of restrictions in Scotland. The briefing will be available on Scottish Parliament TV and on the Scottish Government's Twitter feed. Speaking on Friday, Ms Sturgeon indicated that the easing of restrictions planned for 28 June was unlikely to go ahead. She said: "Given the current situation - and the need to get more people fully vaccinated before we ease up further - it is reasonable to indicate now that I think it unlikely that any part of the country will move down a level from June 28. "Instead, it is likely that we will opt to maintain restrictions for a further three weeks from June 28 and use that time to vaccinate - with both doses - as many more people as possible. "Doing that will give us the best chance, later in July, of getting back on track and restoring the much greater normality that we all crave." Infection rates in Scotland are currently high, with a further 1,250 cases of Covid confirmed on Monday. This is largely due to the Delta variant, which is believed to be around 60% more infectious than the original Alpha variant discovered in December 2020. The whole of Scotland was meant to be moved down to level 0 on 28 June, which is the closest level to normal in the Scottish Government's lockdown exit plan. Under level 0 restrictions, more people from more households would be able to meet indoors and outdoors and up to 200 people could attend weddings and funerals.