Summary

  • Nicola Sturgeon and National Clinical Director Jason Leitch delivered the latest Covid update

  • A further 11 deaths of people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours

  • Ms Sturgeon says "relatively minor but important" changes to lockdown rules could be announced next Tuesday

  • These changes are likely to relate to outdoor meetings and young people

  • Prof Leitch says the country's key data on the virus is heading in the right direction

  • The first minister says she is hopeful the country will be able to stage European Championship matches at Hampden

  • Scotland hopes to have vaccinated entire adult population by end of July

  • 69 of the 90 passengers who were on flight from Heathrow to Aberdeen in which three cases of Brazilian variant were found have been traced

Live Reporting

  1. The pre-briefing headlines...

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    • An Edinburgh father is seeking legal action over child quarantine.
    • A tax cut for Scottish house buyers will end as planned on 1 April.
    • This is despite an extension in the Westminster budget.
    • A further 500 people tested positive for Covid-19 up to Thursday.
    • This represents 2.5% of the tests carried out.
    • The number of Covid patients in hospital fell by 24 to 726.
    • 69 people were in intensive care.
    • A further 24 deaths were registered of people who tested positive in the last 28 days.
    • The total by that measurement is now 7,398.
    • The first minister says there is "little doubt things are firmly heading in the right direction".
    • She will set out next week a further timetable for the possible easing of restrictions after 26 April.

  2. Welcome

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    Good afternoon and welcome to BBC Scotland's rolling coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland on Friday 5 March 2021.

    Nicola Sturgeon will be giving a briefing from 12:15 on the latest developments around the coronavirus crisis.

    Joining the first minister will be national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch.

    You can follow the latest developments right here and watch or listen live by clicking on one of the tabs above - for coverage on BBC One Scotland, the BBC Scotland channel or BBC Radio Scotland.