She says her government is committed to continuing financial support for those firms suffering as a result of the pandemic.

The first minister also says she is considering "some form of tapered support" for businesses that may still face trading restrictions and reduced demand, even if they are allowed to re-open.

The first minister explains that from 26 April, “assuming the data allows it”, Scotland will move back to a levels system.

This move would see the whole country being placed in level 3 and an easing of the current travel restrictions.

From 5 April the first minister explains that it is her hope that the current stay-at-home restriction will be lifted.

Communal worship will also restart around 5 April, albeit with restricted numbers, Ms Sturgeon says.

And she adds that she will will seek to ease the restrictions on outdoor gatherings so that at least six people from two households can meet together

Finally, this phase will also see the re-opening of retail in the form of an extension of the definition of essential retail and the removal of restrictions on click-and collect.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland News Correspondent

If the Prime Minister outlined a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions in England, then the approach outlined by the First Minister in Scotland may be seen as uber-cautious.

It is unlikely that non-essential retail in Scotland will reopen before 26 April - two weeks after it may reopen south of the border.

So will there be broad public support and goodwill for significantly tighter restrictions in Scotland than in England?

Naturally, many may feel weary after so long. In much of the west of Scotland, there have been additional restrictions since early September.

Will people accept restrictions for longer if they feel that caution will be rewarded in the longer term? Might easing other restrictions - such as allowing care home visits and getting children back into education - help people accept restrictions on economic activity? Or might some feel resentful if they see a greater degree of relaxation south of the border?

This is a fascinating question - especially as the impact of the vaccination programme on deaths and hospital admissions accelerates.

Will those who have been vaccinated want more freedoms back? And will those who are at little statistical risk of falling severely ill with Covid accept restrictions for longer? And all this will happen in the immediate run-up to the Holyrood elections at the start of May.

The first minister emphasises how she hopes more pupils will return to school in Scotland from 15 March.

This will involve getting the remainder of primary school pupils and more senior phase secondary pupils back into the classroom for at least part of their learning.

Ms Sturgeon adds that she also hopes to restart outdoors non contact group sports for 12-17 year olds in this phase.

And it is hoped the limit on outdoor mixing between households will be increased from four people from a maximum of two households.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon says the last week of April should see a “phased but significant re-opening of the economy".

This includes non-essential retail, hospitality and services such as gyms and hairdressers.

She adds: “Of course, the more of us who are vaccinated and the more we all stick by the rules now, the faster that safe pace is likely to be – if we all stay in this together, our progress will be greater.”

More details on this will be set out in mid-March.

Phase 1 (yesterday) early learning and childcare and schools open for Primary 1-3 pupils and senior phase pupils for essential practical work. Limited increase in the provision for vulnerable children. Care homes opening to facilitate meaningful contact between relatives/ friends and residents.

Phase 2 (unlikely before 15 March) - More school reopening - Non-contact outdoor group sports for 12-17 year olds. Socialising rules eased, to allow outdoor meetings of 4 people from 2 households.

Phase 3 - (at least three weeks later - possibly 5 April) Stay-at-Home requirement removed. Third and final phase of schools reopening if required. Places of worship can open on a restricted numbers basis. Essential retailers list expanded slightly and click-and-collect resumes for non-essential retail.

Phase 4 - possibly 26 April) Limited other easing within Level 4, including permitting non-essential work in people’s homes. Return to variable Levels approach. This will enable the graduated opening up of economic and social activity.

The first minister says if all goes to plan Scotland will move “fully back” to a levels systems from the last week in April.

She adds at that stage all parts of Scotland in level 4 – the highest level on the country’s five stage scale - will be able to move initially to level 3.

Ms Sturgeon says: “The advantages of the levels system is that it will allow us to let some parts of the country move faster than others, if the data supports that.”

She adds that this move will also be contingent on all the JCVI priority groups having been vaccinated, which should be done by mid-April.

The first minister acknowledges the strategic framework is “deliberately cautious” at this stage.

But she adds: “In the coming weeks, if the data allows and positive trends continue, we will seek to accelerate the easing of restrictions."

The Scottish government intends to publish a further document in mid March giving more detail, beyond today's updated strategic framework, on the sequencing of re-opening the economy from late April onwards.

In the coming months vaccination will become the main tool of suppression.

Before that Ms Sturgeon says there is a need to use a range of other measures too:

• test and protect system
• expanding testing capacity
• travel restrictions are likely to remain for some time yet

The strategic framework rightly emphasises the importance of both travel restrictions and test and protect.

Image source, Scottish government

The Scottish government has published its Strategic Framework Update.

You can read it here., external

Ms Sturgeon warns there are some signs that the decline in case numbers is slowing down.

That is likely linked to the fact that the more transmissible new variant of the virus now accounts for more than 85% of our cases.

"We have quite limited scope at this stage for easing restrictions."

Ms Sturgeon tells the chamber: "In short, our current position is extremely positive and promising - and we should all take heart from that.

"But still quite precarious and if we are to sustain our progress, we do need to exercise care and caution."

The first minister tells the chamber the watchwords at this stage continue to be caution and patience.

She warns against "taking the brakes of too quickly", which would allow the virus to get ahead again and put progress out of lockdown into reverse.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon says from 5 April it is her hope that the stay-at-home restriction will be lifted.

The final phase of school return would take place on this date as well.

The first minister says that all those who are shielding should now have been offered a first dose.

Ms Sturgeon says being vaccinated does not yet change the advice to these people.

"At the moment, we are advising all on the shielding list – whether or not you've had your first dose – to keep following the advice that the chief medical officer sent in recent letters.

Those letters, and other information, are available at the shielding section of the mygov.scot website.

If you are on the shielding list, and you live in part of Scotland which is currently in level 4 lockdown you should not go into work, even if you have had one or both doses of the vaccine.

Image source, Getty Images

The next phase of easing could be from 15 March, Ms Sturgeon says.

She says this could include the next phase of school return - which will start with the rest of the primary school years, 4 to 7, and getting more senior phase secondary pupils back in the classroom for at least part of their learning.

Ms Sturgeon says the aim is also to increase the limit on outdoor mixing between households to 4 people from a maximum of 2 households - compared to 2 people from 2 households just now.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon says from the last week of April she would expect to see phased but significant re-opening of the economy, including non essential retail, hospitality and services like gyms and hairdressers.

Nicola Sturgeon says - if all goes according to plan – Scotland will move fully back to a levels system from the last week in April.

At that stage, she hopes that all parts of the country currently in level 4 - will be able to move to level 3 - possibly with some revision to the content of the levels.

She says the advantages of the levels system is that it will allow us to let some parts of the country move faster than others, if the data supports that.

The first minister said that the Scottish government aimed to bring forward its target for all adults in Scotland to be vaccinated.

She said the new target was dependent on stocks of the vaccine.

Ms Sturgeon tells the chamber almost one third of Scotland’s adult population has now received the first dose of vaccine.

"Which is quite extraordinary progress," the first minister adds.

"The headline number includes virtually everyone in the top four clinical priority groups identified by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation - a milestone that is already saving lives."

The first minister goes on to say if supplies allow, the Scottish government will now aim to reach key vaccination targets earlier than previously planned.

"Our intention - supplies permitting - is to have offered first doses to everyone on the JCVI priority list by mid April."