Nicola Sturgeon begins her statement by confirming 18,597 people have now tested positive for Covid-19, an increase of 17 from yesterday.

260 patients are in hospital with a confirmed case, with two being treated in intensive care.

No deaths were registered in the last 24 hours of people who tested positive, meaning the total remains at 2,491.

"In fact no deaths have been registered under this measurement for the past two weeks."

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Nicola Sturgeon will make a statement to the Scottish parliament shortly, when she is expected to confirm that Scotland's schools will reopen in full next month.

The first minister will also make an announcement on shielding, which is expected to be paused from Saturday, 1 August.

Ms Sturgeon has already warned she is unlikely to ease many other restrictions in the latest three-weekly review of her government's "route map" out of lockdown.

However, indicative dates of when more services could be allowed to resume will be announced.

You can follow the statement right here by clicking on the play icon above, or by watching on the BBC Scotland channel.

Official figures indicate that England had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe between the end of February and the middle of June.

It was followed by Spain - with Scotland in third place.

The Office for National Statistics' measure compares the number of deaths in a given period with the five-year average for that time.

It's widely regarded as the most reliable marker of the impact of Covid-19.

Mornings with Jackie Brambles
BBC Radio Scotland

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Dr Sarah Hulme, an educational psychologist with Connect To Thrive, says the uncertainty over children returning to school is an "incredibly complex issue" that people will handle in different ways.

Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce shortly that pupils will return on a full-time basis from 11 August, which has raised concerns among parents, children, teachers and other school staff.

Dr Hulme says children have been missing the "routine and predictability" of attending school and their wellbeing should be at the forefront of plans.

"When we don’t have certainty or control over what’s happening in our lives, we try to seek certainty," she explains. "But sometimes the risk of trying to seek that certainty and rush through a decision or plan is actually a false certainty."

She says parents need to explain to children that the situation remains uncertain, people may behave differently because they are feeling that and we need to recognise "this is a difficult time for everyone".

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• People who test positive for coronavirus or show symptoms in the UK must now self-isolate for at least 10 days, rather than seven.

• Nicola Sturgeon is expected to confirm later Scotland's schools will reopen in full next month and shielding will be paused on 1 August.
• Amazon has confirmed that a member of staff is in quarantine after a coronavirus cluster was identified in Inverclyde.

Expect all these topics to be covered as the first minister updates MSPs on the latest review of lockdown measures.

Join us to watch or listen to Ms Sturgeon's statement, and for extensive coverage, from 12.20pm.

A moment ago, it was confirmed that people in the UK who test positive for coronavirus or show symptoms must now self-isolate for 10 days, an increase from at least a week before.

The NHS has listed three main symptoms of coronavirus people should be aware of and ready to act upon.

• A new, continuous cough - Where you cough a lot for more than an hour, or have three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• Fever - Where your temperature is above 37.8C
• A loss of, or change in sense of smell or taste

It takes five days on average to start showing the symptoms, but some people will get them much later. The World Health Organization says incubation of the virus lasts up to 14 days.

Read more on what to do if you show symptoms., external

Mornings with Jackie Brambles
BBC Radio Scotland

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Teachers are "extremely anxious" about the extent of what Nicola Sturgeon will announce shortly about a return to full-time education.

"There are still so many unanswered questions," says George, a secondary school teacher in North Lanarkshire. "We all want to get back to full-time education but teachers feel there is one rule for one and one for others."

He raised concerns about sitting in front of a class of pupils with no face coverings or screens, and how classrooms will be properly ventilated.

"Are we just going to leave the windows open? How is that going to work in the winter? How are we going to teach practical subjects?" he told BBC Radio Scotland.

George says teachers feel they are not being supported or taken into consideration in the rush to get pupils back on a full-time basis.

"We’ve got one in-service day on the 11th (August). How are we going to put all these procedures, mitigation and risk assessments in place? We don't even have timetables in place. It's all so rushed."

So people who test positive for coronavirus or show symptoms in the UK must now self-isolate for at least 10 days, rather than seven

The change,announced by the UK's chief medical officers, external, comes as ministers try to avoid a resurgence of the virus.

Until now, those showing key symptoms - a new continuous cough, a temperature or loss of taste or smell - have had to self-isolate for at least a week.

The new advice is in line with World Health Organization guidance.

The chief medical officers said the change is "particularly important to protect those who have been shielding and in advance of the autumn and winter when we may see increased community transmission".

It comes after the prime minister warned of signs of a "second wave" of the pandemic in parts of Europe.

• England death rate among worst in Europe
• What's the evidence Europe is having a 'second wave'?
• UK signs deal for 60 million virus vaccine doses

Mornings with Jackie Brambles
BBC Radio Scotland

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Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to provide "a lot of clarity" when she confirms to the Scottish Parliament that schools will return from 11 August

A survey by Connect, a representative group for parents, shows that 51% of parents are worried about their children going back to school.

Helen Puttick, a journalist for the Times, says as a parent she is concerned "we might not get all that we are hoping for" in the first minister's statement.

Home schooling has shown how much variation there has been from one local authority to another, and between different schools and teachers, she says.

"We need as much detail as the care homes should have had, so let's hope that informs what they do today.

"There is a danger a lot will be left up to local decision-makers and we end up with another patchwork quilt where we don't know what’s right and wrong, and some schools and families don’t get the same set-up as others.”

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BBC Radio Scotland

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Blair Minchin, a primary school teacher, says he is "excited" about getting back to school and seeing pupils, and ensuring a "welcoming, inclusive, safe environment" for them.

"I think I speak for the majority of teachers when i say we really want to be back with the kids; it’s what we do," he tells BBC Radio Scotland.

He believes academically children will "catch up quite quickly", and is more concerned about the wellbeing of pupils, making sure they benefit from the social interaction of the 'hidden curriculum' – at play-times and lunchtimes.

Mr Minchin says during home schooling he was online with his P7 class every day, with video story-time, daily tasks and games days.

"I feel we did well by our pupils, but I totally understand that for families with multiple children and maybe one or two devices, it will have been a right slog," he adds.

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The government has published a statement, external from the UK chief medical officers on the new guidance for self-isolation.

It says that "evidence, although still limited, has strengthened and shows that people with Covid-19 who are mildly ill and are recovering have a low but real possibility of infectiousness between seven and nine days after illness onset".

"We have considered how best to target interventions to reduce risk to the general population and consider that at this point in the epidemic, with widespread and rapid testing available and considering the relaxation of other measures, it is now the correct balance of risk to extend the self-isolation period from 7 to 10 days for those in the community who have symptoms or a positive test result.

"This will help provide additional protection to others in the community. This is particularly important to protect those who have been shielding and in advance of the autumn and winter when we may see increased community transmission."

People who display symptoms of coronavirus must self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days, the UK’s four chief medical officers say.

The increase from seven days comes as ministers try to avoid a resurgence of the virus in the UK.

The medical officers are issuing the advice based on new evidence that people with mild to moderate symptoms may still be infectious days after the onset of the virus.

People are most infectious before symptoms begin displaying and during the first few days of the illness. But scientists say there is a possibility some people may still transmit the virus for up to nine days after they become unwell.

The new advice brings the UK in line with guidance issued by the World Health Organization.

• Read the statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers, external

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BBC Radio Scotland

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Eileen Prior, executive director of parents group Connect, says parents' views "have largely been ignored" through the process of getting their children back to school.

"We have heard from a good number of parents that they haven’t been consulted on what the return to school will look like, and they have struggled with the whole process of home learning," she told BBC Radio Scotland.

Ms Prior believes some local authorities, and different schools within those areas, may opt for a phased return.

Parents need to hear what the arrangements will look like, and how schools and families are going to share the experience of the last three months," she says.

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Tens of thousands of people with cancer could be forced to choose between their health or finances if their employers force them to return to work, according to one charity.

The first minister is expected to announce a "pause" in shielding guidelines from 1 August in her update which will include allowing a return to work.

Macmillan Cancer Support says there are 59,000 people with cancer in work in Scotland, with 27,000 of them apparently saying they feel it’s currently unsafe for them to work outside of their home.

Kate Seymour from Macmillan's told the Good Morning Scotland programme employers should be making reasonable adjustments that where possible allow people to work from home but also to make sure the work place is safe.

Ms Seymour says: "We are urging the first minister, when she makes a statement about pausing shielding later today, to be really clear to employers about what their responsibilities are."

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The Scottish government's expected to confirm later that Scotland's schools will reopen in full next month

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said her government's "central objective" is to get all pupils back in the classroom from 11 August.

Ministers signed off the schools plan on Wednesday, and it will be announced to MSPs at Holyrood on Thursday.

Ms Sturgeon has warned she is unlikely to ease many other restrictions, saying her approach will be "very cautious".

Join us here on this live page for the build up, extensive coverage of the statement from 12.20pm and reaction and analysis for the rest of the day.