Boris Johnson rejects an SNP claim about him not reading scientific advice when he is asked about relaxing the two-metre distancing rule.

• 2.30pm: Holyrood: Ministerial Statement: COVID-19 (Tourism)
• 3pm: Holyrood: Showing Solidarity with Anti-Racism Debate - social distancing and the risks of protests will be raised
• 5pm: UK government coronavirus daily briefing: led by the PM today, with details of further easing of the lockdown in England

Finlay Carson, of the Scottish Conservatives, asks if the first minister agrees it is unfair that supermarkets and department stores like Marks & Spencer sell food on one floor but non-essential goods on another, when local family businesses selling the same products cannot.

The Tory MSP wonders if she will reexamine the case for independent retailers to re-open in phase two of the route map out of lockdown.

Nicola Sturgeon says it will be under consideration as aspects of phase two are announced next week but suggests there will always be anomalies and that any change "has to be safe and it has to be sustainable".

"The sustainability part is important," she says. "We are going to be living with this virus for some time to come and every step we take we have to make sure we are taking it on as firm a footing as possible so we are not moving in a direction that sets us back."

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Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton raises concerns about Edinburgh Zoo facing closure, saying they’ve adapted it to make it safe to open now.

With zoos due to open in England, Mr Cole-Hamilton calls for Edinburgh Zoo to be allowed to do so too.

The first minister replies: “I have nothing but sympathy for the position organisations like Edinburgh Zoo find themselves in.”

Ms Sturgeon says a careful and properly assessed approach is necessary and individual decisions cannot be taken, or “we’ll end up in a mess and the virus will run out of control”.

She points out England have reversed their timetable on school reopening.

Scottish Labour's Sarah Boyack asks the first minister what concerns the Scottish government has regarding the availability of food for children and low-income families during the summer months in light of the reported rise in food poverty caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

She says that, while there has been "a fantastic response by local authorities and community groups", she points out that the Trussell Trust charity has highlighted there has been a huge demand for food parcels and that more than 100 organisations have called for lump sum payments of £250 to be made to low income families and extending free school meal payments in cash as an alternative to vouchers for free meals.

Nicola Sturgeon points out that, in March, the Scottish government put in place "a significant package" of support through £350m-worth of communities funding, which included nearly doubling the Scottish Welfare Fund and providing £70m to a food fund, including funding to help the third sector and local authorities provide support.

She highlights the fact that the Trussel Trust "welcomed the swift action by the Scottish government" and that the deputy first minister is currently considering the issue of free school meal provision over the summer.

Ms Sturgeon says her government will look to ensure that "nobody is going hungry" despite the pandemic.

The shielding of those who are most at risk if they become infected with Covid-19 should continue until 31 July.

The Scottish government's original advice was to shield until 18 June, but this has now been extended until "at least" the end of July.

However, Nicola Sturgeon said the group should be able to go outside for exercise from 18 June.

Currently the advice is to stay at home and not go outside at all.

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• Coronavirus (COVID-19): shielding support and contacts, external

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SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson tells the chamber of a constituent in her her mid-70s who is is shielding because she has cancer.

He says she is torn between following the guidance or seeing her grandchildren, "possibly for the last time".

"People need to know there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel," he adds.

The first minister accepts the difficulty of continuing to isolate, adding a member of her own family is shielding.

But she insists the advice is for the good of this vulnerable group because the risk of becoming seriously unwell and dying is considerably higher for them.

We hope to alter guidance next week to allow people out for exercise, she adds.

She also says tailored advice for individuals - taking into account their condition, age, ethnicity and other factors - will be issued between now and 31 July.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader says: “My fear is that the economic tidal wave is overtaking the advisory group and the work the first minister has just set out.

“We need an urgent plan right now,” he adds.

Mr Rennie calls for a new government backed job scheme, a new universal basic income, capital investment and investment in colleges and training.

He also wants to know if the government will intervene to prevent businesses going under.

The first minister reiterates that the economic recovery group is about to make its recommendations.

Ms Sturgeon says the Scottish government has always shown a willingness to intervene to save companies where it can.

She adds she is a supporter of a universal income but this parliament does not have the powers to do so alone.

Image source, PA Media

Willie Rennie begins: “We are facing a tidal wave of job losses. One in ten workers could be out of a job this year.”

The Scottish Lib Dem leader cites threats to jobs at a number of companies in Scotland including at Rolls-Royce and the Crieff Hydro Group.

He asks the first minister to set out what the government is planning to do with this jobs emergency.

Nicola Sturgeon replies: “The economic emergency that we face is colossal. Just like the health emergency we’ve been dealing with is colossal.”

The first minister adds the health emergency very quickly led to the economic one and the government has been planning for that from the start of this.

She says she has been chairing a weekly sub-committee of the cabinet looking at these economic isues.

The economic recovery group, chaired by Benny Higgins, is due to report in the next couple of weeks and a number of steps will be looked at.

Alison Johnstone suggests there has been a "worrying disregard" for routinely screening health professionals working in hospitals on other diseases.

The Scottish Greens co-leader says the Scottish government has argued against regular testing of those without symptoms, arguing that the test only works in a window of symptomatic people yet over the last month testing has been expanded and regular testing of care workers has begun.

Ms Johnstone claims that this was only because the UK government's SAGE group recommended it but that the Scottish government's own advisory group had not followed suit and wonders if the first minister is waiting for the UK SAGE group to recommend regular testing of all hospital staff.

Nicola Sturgeon says the Scottish government takes advice from SAGE but also its own advisory group.

She denies that the Scottish government has resisted the principle of testing asymptomatic people, saying it is about practical ethics and effectiveness and points out that the experts still say that the test is less reliable in those without symptoms.

Scottish Green Party parliamentary group co-leader Alison Johnstone says workers on the front line have been calling for regular testing in hospitals for some time and points to front page reports today saying nurses and doctors are "angry and demoralised about the spread of the virus in their wards". She says a senior physician has contacted her expressing dismay that patients are able to walk around hospitals spreading the virus without knowing it.

Ms Johnstone says that, in April, experts said the spread in hospitals could be reduced by a third by regular testing and asks the first minister if she knows how many lives could have been saved had this been in place and again asks when regular testing in hospitals will be in place.

Nicola Sturgeon replies that the review group is looking at this issue and that the Scottish government will take on board any advice.

She points out that testing is not a panacea and that the government took expert advice about the reliability of testing and that where and when patients in non-Covid wards picked up infection is still under investigation.

Richard Leonard says safely restarting the NHS is a national priority, with at least 80,000 alone waiting for surgery.

We will need to use every available resource to get people booked into procedures he says, arguing one resource not yet used is the NHS Louisa Jordan.

The Scottish Labour leader asks if the lease will be extended and whether it will play a role in restarting services.

Nicola Sturgeon says she is “absolutely delighted and relieved” that the NHS Louisa Jordan has not had to be used.

We will ensure the temporary hospital is there as long as we may need it, and remobilisation plans are considering its use for some elective treatments.

However, the first minister warns it is important to be alive to the risk of a resurgence of coronavirus in autumn or winter and therefore facilities and capacity must be available for that.

Image source, EPA

Mr Leonard says his party called for a NHS recovery plan five weeks ago, which included guaranteed access to PPE for NHS and care workers.

Staff say their PPE is sub-optimal and often out of date he adds. He calls for regular testing and full training of PPE.

Ms Sturgeon says there is clear guidance in place on PPE and the government has worked "extremely hard" to ensure there are adequate supplies, including setting up domestic supply chains.

At no point has Scotland run out of PPE, she says, adding an equipment past its expiry date has been revalidated to ensure its safety.

On testing, the first minister says the nosocomial review group is looking into the extension of testing to NHS staff. She insists listening to the experts is the best approach.

The first minister disagrees with describing the NHS as “stuck”, adding it is currently preparing remobilisation plans.

Regarding nosocomial infection, Ms Sturgeon highlights the importance of validating the data because not all of the cases included in the number given will have been acquired in hospital.

There is a process underway to validate this she explains, and it will be published then – hopefully by the end of this month.

The expert group is chaired by Professor Jacqui Reilly and is looking at extending routine testing and hospital safety she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard says the marked decline in deaths “gives us hope, but we should never forget the lives lost and the families left grieving”.

He says the NHS is “stuck” because the restart of services cannot begin until we know hospitals are safe, and he points to hospital-acquired Covid-19.

Acknowledging an expert group is looking into this, he adds: “Families who lost loved ones as far back as March and April feel that this process has been too slow and too secretive.”

He calls for details, including minutes, of this group’s work to be published and reviewed.