BBC Scotland will stream the finals of Scotland's Esports League from 10-12 July as the country's top gamers compete for national titles.

Lockdown restrictions mean gamers cannot this year congregate to watch the finalists play, but the BBC Sport Scotland website and Esports Scotland's Twitch channel will show the action.

The finals are part of BIGFest, a weekend's celebration of gaming.

Read more here.

• No more deaths reported of people who have tested positive, but 18 new positive cases, which is higher than any daily tally for the past three weeks
• Nicola Sturgeon says there is no suggestion at the moment the new cases are connected; they are "fairly dispersed across the country"
• "It is a sharp reminder to all of us that this virus hasn't gone away, and is still present out there," says the first minister
• Ms Sturgeon calls for people to comply with the new law on wearing face coverings in shops, "not from fear of enforcement, but because it's the right thing to do"
• She says face coverings "are here for the foreseeable future" and "it's as well getting into the habit now"
• A maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend weddings, civil partnerships and funerals - with that number no longer limited to immediate family
• Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop announces details of a £38m package for the "most-promising early stage businesses"

The Courier asks why a maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend wedding and funeral ceremonies, where contact tracing could be easily carried out, when a beer garden can accommodate more than 20 strangers?

Nicola Sturgeon says a beer garden may have more than 20 people, but the group you are in should be limited in terms of households and numbers.

You are also probably not going to be hugging someone in a group which has nothing to do with yours, says the first minister.

At a wedding, where most people know each other really well, and are part of the same families or closely connected, "the tendency to maybe not stick to that, is potentially greater", she says.

"So it is about caution and being a bit more careful because of the context."

Ms Sturgeon says there are "lots of anomalies in what we’re doing right now" and while some measures won’t make perfect sense, "there is usually a bit of analysis behind it".

Image source, SNS

The Daily Record wonder why worries about football fans congregating outside stadiums are no longer a concern, with the Scottish Premiership pencilled in to start the new season behind closed doors on 1 August.

Reporter Vivienne Aitken also asks when can we expect to see supporters allowed back into games.

The first minister explains that judgements change as we move out of lockdown but adds she does not think fans will be returning to their seats "any time soon".

Prof Jason Leitch says the return to action has been very well managed by the sporting organisations in charge and that a lot has been learned from other leagues opening around Europe.

Crowds have not gathered for these games, he explains, with most of them televised, which will also be the case in Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

The Telegraph asks how long we should expect the rules on face coverings to last.

"If I could answer that, I think I'd be in demand from every scientific organisation across the globe," says the first minister.

"I certainly hope it's not permanent, but I think it is for the foreseeable future and therefore it's as well getting into the habit now. Get comfortable with it, is what I'm encouraging people to do."

Nicola Sturgeon is asked by The Scotsman if there is any suggestion the 18 new positive cases reported today are connected, or in the same geographical area.

"There is no suggestion at the moment that they are connected; It looks as though they are fairly dispersed across the country," says the first minister.

She says 18 "is a small number", but it is three times the number reported yesterday and the highest number since 21 June. "So it is not nothing, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions," she says..

As with the recent cluster in Dumfries and Galloway, Ms Sturgeon says the 'test and protect' system in place "gives us the ability to really look carefully at anything which is giving us concern".

“If we think it does give cause for concern, we will openly say that, but for the moment let us assume it’s just a variation that we see day on day," she adds.

"Going on a cruise right now is not something I would advise people to do," says the first minister in response to a question from The Sun, citing the number of outbreaks on such ships at the beginning of the pandemic crisis.

Prof Jason Leitch says that cruises were discussed this week at the four-nations senior clinicians' meeting.

He says: "I don't like saying this to the cruise industry, but, between us, we couldn't think of anywhere worse to be and anywhere better for the virus."

Image source, PA Media

BBC Scotland's Jamie McIvor kicks off today's media questions by saying some disabled people are concerned by increasing hostility over the non-wearing of face coverings in shops and are complaining that information on exemptions is not always clear.

"If someone is saying they are exempt due to a pre-existing condition, then that is fine," replies the first minister.

She also suggests trying a mask on for a limited time to see if it would be comfortable for a quick shop visit.

"When I first started wearing one a few weeks ago, I thought I'll never get used to this," continues Nicola Sturgeon. "Now I don't really think about it. I wouldn't say it feels absolutely natural but it's no great discomfort."

She then reminds us of the campaigns to get people wearing seat belts and to stop smoking in public spaces that were greeted with scepticism but proved successful.

"Whatever the inconvenience, it's for our own protection and the protection of others," she says. "This is a tiny thing we can do to help save lives.

"It's a Scottish government decision, not a decision from a shop worker, so if you disagree don't take it out on them."

National Clinical Director Jason Leitch attempts to explain what face coverings means if people are confused about what they should be wearing in shops or on public transport from today.

Disposable, non-surgical masks are “perfectly satisfactory", he says, but they should only be used once and then discarded.

Fabric face coverings are also “equally acceptable” and can be bought online or in many retail establishments.

The secret is to cover your face and mouth with two layers of fabric, Prof Leitch says, which could be a scarf or pashmina. You can also look at websites about how to make them yourself.

Prof Leitch says you should also wear face coverings in any other enclosed spaces where physical distancing is difficult, for example when visiting a care home, hospital, GP surgeries or pharmacies.

“They do not make you invincible though," he warns, and says you should still follow other hygiene measures.

With certain groups - young children, those with breathing difficulties - not obliged to wear one, he urges people to be "cautious about creating a stigma or policing it yourselves" if you see someone not wearing a face covering.

And always use hand sanitiser before you put one on, and when you take it off, he says.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop announces details of a £38m package for the "most-promising early stage businesses".

The spending will include:

• £3m grant fund for start-ups with highest potential to grow
• £25m challenge fund for successful applicants (with the process opening on 20 July)
• £10m for Scottish Enterprise's existing co-investment funds to stimulate private investment

Ms Hyslop says: "We need to find ways to support our most innovative sectors because their access to finance has been severely restricted.

"We need to promote growth in areas like life sciences, digital technologies and space."

She adds that this marks a step forward in our recovery with a high-tech, low-carbon economy that accelerates international investment and creates rewarding, high value jobs.

The Economy Secretary also reveals she has agreed a £2.2m fund with the Music Venues Trust to "quickly provide much-needed stability".

And there is a promise to give more details on the £100m to be invested in employment opportunities soon.

The first minister then runs down the other changes coming into effect from today, stressing that "outdoors remains safer than inside".

• People who are shielding will no longer have to distance themselves from others living in the same house
• Children aged under 12 will no longer have to physically distance from other people indoors
• While the government is still advising people to follow the 2m physical distancing rules, some exemptions will allow it to be reduced to 1m in shops and on public transport.
• Up to eight people from a maximum of three different households can meet indoors - and can stay overnight as long as there is physical distancing between different households
• People should stay 2m from people in other households, clean surfaces after touching them and wash their hands regularly
• Up to 15 people from five different households can meet outdoors while also following the 2m distancing rules
• Adults are being advised not to meet people from any more than four different households in any single day
• People who are part of a non-cohabiting couple will no longer need to stay physically distant from each other, indoors or outdoors.

Image source, AFP

Nicola Sturgeon says she has been asked a lot why the Scottish government has introduced mandatory face coverings in shops from today, rather than earlier in lockdown.

The reason is quite simple, she says. Now we are starting to go out a lot more, that brings much greater risk of the virus spreading, so mitigations are necessary which were not when we were staying at home most of the time.

Although police can issue fines if necessary, the first minister asks everyone to stick to the law, "not from fear of enforcement, but because it's the right thing to do".

She says wearing a face covering in public should become as automatic as wearing a seat-belt in a car.

“It is one of the ways we can show care and solidarity for each other and allow each other to live less restricted lives, without seeing a resurgence in the virus," Ms Sturgeon adds.

She recognises that wearing a face covering is not always very comfortable, but says - from personal experience - that it "gets less uncomfortable the more you get used to it".

Health and care workers have to wear masks for 12-hour shifts, she adds, and this is "one small thing we can do for them".

Image source, EPA

"We have to work even harder to make sure the virus does not get opportunities to spread," says the first minister, with reference to the jump of 18 in confirmed cases.

Among the relaxations coming in next Wednesday is the reopening of hairdressers and she reveals that detailed guidance for the sector has now been published.

For weddings, civil partnerships and funerals, a maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend - with that number no longer limited to immediate family. However, the venue must be able to accommodate physical distancing

Associated receptions, wakes etc are still subject to the everyday rules on gatherings inside or outside.

Nicola Sturgeon concedes the regulations are restrictive, describing them as a "necessary precaution", while the policy will be reviewed from end of July.

Nicola Sturgeon says an additional 18 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, which takes the total number to 18,333.

The first minister says this is the highest figure we have seen in almost three weeks, and the government will be looking into this "very closely".

"It is a sharp reminder to all of us that this virus hasn't gone away, and is still present out there," she says.

A total of 668 patients are currently in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, which is an increase of 22 since yesterday.

That includes a decrease of five in the number of confirmed cases.

As of last night, 12 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, which is a increase of three on the number reported yesterday.

In the past 24 hours, no deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed as having the virus.

The total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement therefore remains at 2,490.

Nicola Sturgeon will update us shortly (12.30) on the latest developments around coronavirus in Scotland.

The first minister will be joined at the briefing by Economy, Fair Work and Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch.

You can follow it right here by clicking on the icon above or watch it on the BBC Scotland channel.

Mornings with Jackie Brambles

Image source, PA Media

England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries has suggested losing weight may be one way to protect yourself against coronavirus., external

But with gyms still closed, and not likely to open until 17 August in some parts of Scotland, how easy is it to lose weight in lockdown?

Dr Michael Mosley, author of 'Covid-19: What you need to know', says if you're obese, with a body mass index of over 30, it puts you at a "significantly greater risk", and any vaccine against the virus is less likely to work.

"Being obese messes with your immune system," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "It's not just about reducing your risk of the nasty complications should you get the virus, it's also about ensuring the vaccine is going to work. Unfortunately, having too much fat around the tummy increases your risk of contracting all sorts of infections."

Dr Mosley says it's a "fallacy" that exercise is a good way of losing weight, however.

"The amount of calories you burn is quite insignificant to the amount of calories you consume," he explains. "You probably burn around 100 calories running a mile. That means you'd have to run about 70-80 km to burn 1kg of fat.

"It’s great for all sorts of things – like improving your mood – but a pretty terrible way of losing weight because you have to do so much. It is about cutting calories and changing what you’re eating."

Image source, Getty Images

More rules are being relaxed as Scotland enters phase three of the route map for easing the lockdown, external.

You can now meet people from other households indoors, and face coverings are compulsory in shops.

Pubs, restaurants, holiday accommodation, hairdressers and barbers are expected to reopen from next Wednesday.

So what is due to happen next - and when?

Read more here.

Image source, PA Media

The Scottish government has consistently stated that face coverings are exclusively to prevent the wearer spreading the virus, but the head of the UK's national academy of science this week said there is growing evidence that they also protect the wearer.

Speaking as the Royal Society published two new reports on face coverings, its president, Prof Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, said that they should be worn "whenever you are in crowded public spaces".

The Scottish government today makes face coverings mandatory in shops, having previously done so for public transport, but Prof Ramakrishnan said the UK was "way behind" other countries in usage.

He suggested that the public remained "sceptical" about their benefits because "the message has not been clear enough" and guidelines have been inconsistent.

"What we would like for the government is to be a bit stronger and clearer about the messaging and require it whenever you are in crowded public spaces where you cannot get more than two metres away from the next person," he added.

James Cook
Chief news correspondent for The Nine

Image source, Alan Kelly

The chancellor is borrowing and spending billions of pounds to prop up the economy. But there are still concerns that some of the pandemic's economic scars will be unavoidable, deep and long-lasting.

Alan and Heather Kelly's Dundee motorcycle school is on the skids.

Even though social distancing is easy on a bike, lockdown rules treat the business like a driving school, meaning that for four months now they've only been allowed to train key workers.

"It's been pretty devastating," Mr Kelly told BBC Scotland's The Nine programme. "The majority of our work is done spring to summer."

Read more here.