Education Secretary John Swinney tells MSPs that getting schools back fully as soon as possible and when it is safe to do so is his ambition.

Blended learning is a contingency plan that "was and is necessary", he adds.

Mr Swinney said the picture "now looks more positive because of the efforts or our fellow citizens to stay at home".

If we can further suppress this "terrible virus", we can prepare for children to return to school full time in August, he says.

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Before the education statement, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman is updating the parliament on the resumption of NHS services that have been suspended due to the pandemic.

The focus will be on protecting staff and patients from infection.

This will be during topical questions which will also see a query about the test and trace system.

You can watch topical questions and the schools reopening statement here on this live page.

Here’s the key points from the Scottish government's daily briefing three months to the day since lockdown began:

• 2m physical distancing rule remains in place in Scotland, but further scientific advice on the rule will be available on 2 July
• FM hopes advisers will tell her she can relax the 2m rule reasonably safely
• Two metre rule in England being relaxed from 4 July
• Sturgeon says she’ll give further detail tomorrow, ahead of schedule, on timing for easing further lockdown measures

Image source, PA Media

• The education secretary will this afternoon set out at Holyrood plans for reopening schools
• BBC Scotland has learned this will include preparations for schools to return to 100% capacity with no social distancing, if virus suppression continues
• Blended learning remains a contingency plan
• The health secretary is to set out this afternoon how NHS services will resume with the safety of staff and patients the priority
• Support for young people leaving schools is available at https://www.dyw.scot/, external
• A further four people who tested positive have died, taking the total to 2,476 deaths in Scotland by that measure
• The case of a care worker on Skye testing positive for Covid-19 despite having previously recovered could be due to the test picking up "viral fragments"

BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor has learned Education Secretary John Swinney is expected to announce preparations to reopen schools full time without social distancing from 11 August.

This is not guaranteed however and will rely on the virus suppression continuing.

Blended learning is to remain as a contingency.

• 14:20: Schools statement – from Education Secretary John Swinney on the latest on reopening our schools and blended learning

Image source, AFP

Before the education statement, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman will update the parliament on the resumption of NHS services that have been suspended due to the pandemic.

This will be during topical questions which will also see a query about the test and trace system.

Dr Gregor Smith says he has "absolute confidence" that he will see the evidence on which the UK government has based its announcement on reducing the 2m rule from early July.

He explains that he is in regular contact with colleagues from all over the UK and praises the levels of cooperation throughout this crisis.

The first minister reveals that she was in conversation with fellow leaders in Wales and Northern Ireland this morning, with Michael Gove representing the UK government.

Nicola Sturgeon admits there will be tensions between the four nations on the best way forward, while saying she thinks it best to "keep politics out of it" as much as possible.

Simon Johnson from The Telegraph asks about the care home worker on Skye who has tested positive for Covid-19 after previously recovering from the infection.

The chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith explains the global evidence does not indicate re-infection is a phenomenon being recognise for coronavirus, and in fact the issue is on testing.

While unable to comment on the specific case, Dr Smith explains the test can occasionally return a positive test after being up “viral fragments” of Covid-19 several weeks after infection, despite these being essentially a “dead virus”.

Image source, Getty Images

Conor Matchett from The Scotsman highlights concerns from Edinburgh bus drivers that the compulsory wearing of face coverings was unenforceable.

Face coverings became mandatory on public transport from yesterday as Scotland continues to ease its way out of lockdown.

Ms Sturgeon says it can be enforced by Police Scotland, with officers able to fine those who refuse to wear them.

She says it is right that transport operators and workers do not have to enforce it and she also hopes police officers will not have to either.

“It’s one of these collective things we should all do because it’s the right thing to do”, she adds.

The first minister confirms mandatory face coverings are being considered for retail.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister insists she's concerned about every business that is suffering as a result of lockdown.

That is after Fraser Knight from Global asks if the government would be willing to intervene and bail out shopping centres, which have not yet received a green light to reopen.

Nicola Sturgeon says intervention is something she is "always willing to consider", without being drawn on specific examples and stressing that it would need to be in the best interest of the country and financially viable.

With many other "non-essential" shops opening from Monday, there are still issues with the number of people in enclosed spaces, explains the first minister, who has promised to reveal more indicative dates for phase two opening when she addresses parliament tomorrow.

"We want all shops to be open and trading again as quickly as possible," she says.

Image source, Getty Images

Can community transfer of the virus be completely quashed in next couple of months if we continue to make good progress, ask PA.

"Elimination" is where we get numbers to the lowest level, replies the first minister, but adds that there would still be a risk of outbreaks and imported cases.

Nicola Sturgeon insists we are "not far away" from reaching that elimination target but then the focus switches to how we keep it at that level.

The lower the number of active cases in the community makes it easier for the Test & Protect programme to identify and snuff out localised cases, she says.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says her government will deliver on the promise of regular testing for care home staff and residents amid claims from ITV Border that not even 50% have been tested in the south of Scotland, five weeks after the pledge.

Nicola Sturgeon adds that the latest figures on testing will be published tomorrow, suggesting those numbers quoted may be out of date.

She stresses her own personal "deep feeling of sorrow" at the number of care home deaths and says she is determined to learn lessons from the crisis and to be able to give answers, where possible, to the bereaved.

Mistakes will have been made, she concedes, saying: "I want to know what we could have done better."

Image source, Getty Images

STV ask what the R rate (the average number of people one person with an infectious disease will likely infect in the future) would have to be for the Scottish government to reduce the 2m distance.

The first minister cautions against seeing the R number as important at this stage, saying it is much more about the number of new cases.

She points out that Germany's current R rate is back up near three, but that has been driven by one significant local outbreak.

Nicola Sturgeon emphasises that there is no doubt that risk is increased if you go from 2m to 1m - and any future moves to reduce it are about mitigating that risk.

She adds that it may not necessarily be a one-size fits all solution and maybe 2m will stay on longer in certain areas.

The first minister says it is "worth waiting" before considering reducing the 2m guidance for social distancing in Scotland.

In response to a question from BBC Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon stresses that she understands the economic benefits of the distance being reduced but repeats that the "evidence right now" suggests it would be too big a risk to switch immediately.

From 4 July, the two metre rule is to be relaxed to "one metre plus" where 2m is not possible in England. Ms Sturgeon says she has not seen the evidence that the UK government advice is based on.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister calls again on the public to follow the government's advice.

The first minister says the public health campaign FACT summarises the key points all of us need to remember:

• Face coverings in enclosed spaces
• Avoid crowded places
• Clean hands and surfaces regularly
• Two metre distancing; and
• Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.

Image source, Getty Images

Additional work has been commissioned from the scientific advisory group on physical distancing, Nicola Sturgeon tells the briefing.

The first minister points out that the changes on social distancing announced by the prime minister in England will not apply here, but will be looked at.

"I will provide a general update tomorrow on Scotland's route map out of lockdown," the first minister says.

She will set out some indicative dates when some measures will come into effect.

The maintained good progress may allow some measures to be brought forward more quickly, Ms Sturgeon adds.

She stresses a cautious approach is still necessary, "our aim remains maximum suppression of this virus".

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says she is sorry for pupils who are about to leave school for the final time and who must face a "bitter disappointment" about not being able to celebrate normally.

Ms Sturgeon tells the briefing this special moment is not one anyone would have wanted to be marred in this way.

She says a range of support options will help young people through this transition:

• opportunities to take part in a online skills academy - www.dyw.scot has more information and detail of further support

The first minister says the way young people have coped with the pandemic has shown a resilience they should be proud of.

She wishes school leavers every success in the future.