As we conclude our live coverage this Thursday, 23 July, here is a reminder of today's headlines.

• Nicola Sturgeon confirms shielding will be paused from 1 August with some measures easing from tomorrow.
• People considered to be at the greatest risk of Covid-19 will be able to go to pubs and restaurants with outdoor spaces from Friday.
• Children who have been shielding will be able to return to school in August, while a Covid forecasting service is being developed to let those shielding know of the risk in their community.
• Nicola Sturgeon says she doesn't think anyone should be "championing and celebrating a pandemic that has taken thousands of lives" after PM Boris Johnson says the response to the coronavirus pandemic has shown the "sheer might" of the UK union.

Image source, Getty Images

• Just one death in Scotland has been reported of people who have tested positive over the past 15 days, with no new deaths in the past 24 hours.
• The number of Covid cases linked to the Sitel call centre outbreak has risen to 24.
• John Swinney says ministers will confirm next week whether schools can reopen from 11 August.
• The education secretary says £50m of funding will be ring-fenced for 850 new teachers and 200 support staff in schools.

Image source, Getty Images

People working from home have been eating more ice cream but neglecting their grooming habits, consumer goods giant Unilever has suggested.

The firm said ice cream sales leapt 26% in the three months to June, but demand for shampoo and deodorant fell.

It said it had seen strong "growth in home consumption of foods, ice cream and tea" during lockdown.

But there had been "fewer personal care occasions from going to work or socialising".

Read more here.

Image source, SNS

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of this year's Great Scottish Run, which was scheduled for Sunday, 4 October.

The event, which attracts international competitors as well as charity runners, has been held every year round the streets of Glasgow since 1991.

Last year's male and female half-marathons were won by Uganda's Timothy Toroitich and Kenya's Edith Chelimo.

Organisers said, external there was "no option" to stage the event any time in 2020.

Competitors can roll over their entry to next year's Great Scottish Run, provisionally scheduled for 3 October 2021, or receive a refund.

Image source, PA Media

The Scottish government has ring-fenced funding for 850 new teachers and 200 support staff to help schools build towards reopening on 11 August.

Education Secretary John Swinney said pupils would need extra support when they return to classes after lockdown.

And he said ministers would decide whether it was safe to go ahead with the plans on 29 July.

Guidance is being drawn up on "extra precautions" to be put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

A network of coronavirus-testing walk-in centres is to be set up across England in an attempt to persuade more people to come forward for testing.

Several hundred walk-in units will be up and running by the end of October, in time for winter, when there is concern cases could start to rise.

They will complement the existing drive-through centres, mobile testing units and home-ordering service.

It comes amid concern people are still not coming forward for testing.

Read more here.

BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish government is "making up plans at the last minute" to reopen schools from 11 August, according to Scottish Labour's education spokesman Iain Gray.

John Swinney gave MSPs an update on progress earlier, but no final confirmation will arrive until next Thursday, 30 July.

“Schools are due to open in just over two weeks yet we still have no final decision, councils still don’t actually have the additional resources they need and guidance on risk mitigation is still being written," Mr Gray told BBC Radio Scotland.

The additional teachers referred to by Mr Swinney today "amount to less than half a staff member per school, and councils have two weeks left to try to recruit them,” Mr Gray added.

The Conservatives’ education spokesman, Jamie Green, also called on Mr Swinney to end the uncertainty, saying the balance of evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of schools reopening.

Image source, Getty Images

Dyson is cutting 600 jobs in the UK and a further 300 worldwide as the coronavirus impact speeds up the company's restructuring plans.

The firm, best known for the invention of the bag-less vacuum cleaner, said the pandemic was changing consumer habits as more people shopped online.

Founded by inventor Sir James Dyson, it has a global workforce of 14,000, with 4,000 in the UK, but most of its products are manufactured in Asia.

Most of the jobs will be lost in retail and customer service roles.

Earlier this year the company joined the fight to produce medical ventilators for the NHS, amid fears it would be overwhelmed by coronavirus. But Sir James later told employees these were no longer needed.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Ian Cairns receives regular treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and says he is "quite excited" but a "wee bit apprehensive" about the changes that will see a pause to shielding guidelines from 1 August.

"Twenty weeks locked up is hard to take," he tells BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme. "I had six months chemo last year but this feels a lot worse.

"I haven’t seen my two grandchildren for four months, I’m missing my friends and I need to push myself to go out and do things."

Mr Cairns welcomed the Scottish government's plan to develop a Covid forecasting scheme for each local area. "The more information we have, the better informed we are to make decisions," he adds.

Vivien Yu takes immune suppressants for a skin condition, and is looking forward to returning to work in a "Covid-secure workplace" at a pharmacy.

"It is going to be quite strange," she says. "I do love hugging people so it'll be really hard to stop yourself giving friends a hug, like you normally would before this all happened."

If you are just joining us here's a reminder of the main points from today's Scottish government coronavirus briefing:

• Nicola Sturgeon confirms shielding will be paused from 1 August with some measures easing from tomorrow
• Children who have been shielding will be able to return to school in August
• A Covid forecasting service is being developed to let those shielding know of the risk in their community
• Just one death in Scotland has been reported over the past 15 days with no new death recorded in past 24 hours
• The number of Covid cases linked to the Sitel call centre outbreak rises to 24
• Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop announces more than £2.1m for tourism, business, community and agricultural projects across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders
• On Boris Johnson's comments, the first minister will remain 'very assertive' in the right of the Scottish government to take its own decisions
• She warns 'none of us should be crowing about this pandemic in a political sense'

Image source, Getty Images

People in Scotland considered to be at the greatest risk of Covid-19 will be able to go to pubs and restaurants with outdoor spaces from Friday.

Nicola Sturgeon said people shielding could also meet indoors with maximum of eight people from up to two households if physical distancing was maintained.

Visits to indoors shops or the hairdresser and using public transport will be allowed as well.

The changes come ahead of a "pause" in shielding guidelines from 1 August.

Giving her daily coronavirus briefing, the first minister acknowledged the "painful journey" of those in the shielding category over the past four months of lockdown.

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen Football Club have announced £1m of pay cuts to help plug a £10m shortfall due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Staff earning over £30,000 per year have agreed to take reductions averaging 20%.

The club say the deal will close a "widening funding gap" caused by being unable to start the new campaign in front of fans.

"Our situation was becoming unsustainable," said chairman Dave Cormack.

Read more here.

Image source, PA Media

The Scottish government has guaranteed funding for 850 new teachers and 200 support staff - to help schools reopen on 11 August.

Education Secretary John Swinney said pupils would need extra support when they return to classes after lockdown.

And he said ministers would decide whether it was safe to go ahead with the plans on 29 July.

Guidance is being drawn up on "extra precautions" to be put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Read more.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

It's four months exactly since Scotland went into lockdown, and in the past 15 days there has been just one death of a person who tested positive for Covid-19.

Drivetime will be looking at where we are with the virus - as well as reaction to the latest news for people shieldng.

As the prime minister visits Scotland today in an effort to strengthen support for the union, the programme will also hear from one of Scotland's leading historians, Sir Tom Devine.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland's largest teachers' union has welcomed the Scottish government's announcement of ring-fenced funding for 850 new teachers and 200 support staff.

But the EIS says more must still be done ahead of schools reopening on 11 August.

The union's general secretary Larry Flanagan said: "Clearly, with less than three weeks until schools are set to reopen, it is vital that local authorities act quickly to ensure that the promised additional teachers and support staff are recruited prior to the start of term.

"It also remains essential that the process of reopening schools is managed safely, with updated risk assessments to be carried out and all necessary mitigations – such as enhanced cleaning regimens, adequate ventilation and facilities for regular hand-washing – to be in place in all schools prior to them reopening.”

Image source, Getty Images

An Edinburgh businessman who took the Scottish government to court over coronavirus grants has failed in his bid to have reductions overturned.

Jon Sharp owns six coffee shops in the city and argued that a 25% reduction to the grants for five of the properties applied from 8 June under the Scottish government grants scheme was "unlawful".

Mr Sharp argued he had "a legitimate expectation that a full 100% grant would be paid in respect of all six of his properties" and suggested "the decision of the Scottish ministers to restrict the amount of the grant payable in respect of second and subsequent properties is irrational".

But Judge Lord Fairley refused the petition for judicial review, saying Mr Sharp "did not have such a legitimate expectation", further saying it was "not necessary" to pass judgement on an "abuse of power".

Image source, Codona's

The Scottish government has apologised for giving out the wrong advice on when funfairs could reopen.

Operators were originally told they would be able to start up from the 15 of July - but days later were told to close again.

Codona's Amusement Park in Aberdeen said it was "astounded" at the move which could jeopardise 180 jobs.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said it was "unfortunate and regrettable" that conflicting advice had been given out.

She said that at one point, funfairs may have been considered as visitor attractions but added that the regulations had a clear definition for funfairs.

"We will move to reopen Scotland's funfairs when it is safe to do so," she said.

Read more.

A final decision on schools reopening will be announced next Thursday, 30 July, John Swinney confirms.

Plans for blended learning remain an "essential contingency" that could be applied at a local, regional or national level in future if required, says the education secretary.

Each school will train additional teachers to provide online provision across a range of subjects.

Mr Swinney concludes his statement to the Scottish Parliament by returning to the "moral and educational imperative" of getting pupils back in school.

"They have suffered during lockdown and the government and our partners are focused on putting in place the opportunity to access school to support their wellbeing and develop their potential. That drive must lie at the heart of all we do,” he adds.

Image source, PA Media

Of the £100m announced in June to tackle additional costs for schools, £50m will be specifically ring-fenced for the recruitment of additional teachers and support staff for the next academic year, says John Swinney.

Final numbers will be dependent on the precise mix of staff, but the education secretary expects 850 extra teachers to be recruited, while local authorities will be able to bring in about 200 support staff across Scotland.

"I do not under-estimate the logistical challenge of reopening our schools safely," he says.

A further £20m will be allocated to local authorities to address additional requirements such as extra cleaning or capacity constraints on school transport.

The government will also make a further £3m investment in youth work to support education recovery, he adds.

Image source, PA Media

Around 92% of UK firms were trading in the two weeks to 12 July as more opened their doors to customers on the easing of lockdown restrictions, new figures show.

The proportion of active firms jumped from 86% in the first two weeks of June, as the economy got a boost from the reopening of non-essential shops and hospitality venues, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Firms currently trading said 7% of their total workforce had returned from furlough in the past two weeks and another 6% are expected to return in the next two weeks.

Guitar sales is one area that has seen a boost from the lockdown with a surge in amateur musicians and podcasters, says Gear4Music, the UK's biggest online retailer of instruments and sound equipment.

In the April-to-June period, it said the value of UK sales rose 80% on the same time last year to £21.2m.

And Unilever said it had seen ice cream sales soar while demand for personal hygiene items had fallen.

Mr Swinney reiterates that advice on reopening schools remains conditional on continued low rates of infection, effective surveillance and a process for handling any local outbreaks

The Scottish government is working to provide guidance by 31 July that will enable schools to reopen in August, he says.

A final decision will be taken by Cabinet next Wednesday, 29 July, and set out to parliament next Thursday.

The guidance has been developed in partnership with local government, teachers' unions parent representatives and other public health officials, says the education secretary.

This should provide staff, pupils and parents with the reassurance they need, as it is important they all understand the changes required, he adds.