• A further 318 people have tested positive for Covid since yesterday, with two deaths also recorded
• Nicola Sturgeon said there are reasons for "cautious optimism" in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire ahead of Friday's review of restrictions.
• 3.1 million first doses of the vaccine have now been issued with Ms Sturgeon suggesting the impact of the jab programme could reduce the amount of “tough restrictions” needed in outbreaks.
• Opposition parties are concerned that surge testing and a more flexible vaccine appointment system are not in place.
• Ms Sturgeon believes "we will see venues or other places ask for proof of vaccination" in the future and the implications of that are being considered.

That's all from us today. Join us again next time. Stay safe.

Image source, Thinkstock

Ms Sturgeon takes a question from the Daily Telegraph about vaccination passports.

But rather than just focusing on the situation with foreign travel, will vaccination status reports help people return to the domestic hospitality sector in larger numbers?

The first minister says she can see that being the case some time in the future.

"I think we will see greater use of vaccination as a route back to doing things," she says.

"We will see venues or other places ask for proof of vaccination and we need to think through some of the implications of that.

"But as I've said many times before, there are equity and ethical issues in there that we have to think through and that work is ongoing."

Image source, PA Media

Green MSP Ross Greer tells the BBC update programme that Scotland’s testing regime is still not up to scratch more than a year after the start of the pandemic.

Mr Greer says things have improved in recent months but a more comprehensive “surge testing” strategy is needed.

“What we have seen in Glasgow and East Renfrewshire is the testing has come, and it has been a huge help, but it’s come too late to get a handle on it before it becomes a proper outbreak,” he says.

On vaccines, Mr Greer says a “hybrid system” of NHS-issued appointments and people booking slots for jabs now needs to be introduced.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie says he has concerns about the vaccine take-up rate.

The North East Fife MSP tells the BBC programme frustrations about the way appointments are made have been raised for some time now.

“Many people in my constituency were missing out on an appointment because they had just moved house or GP practice, and it took weeks to sort out,” he says.

Mr Rennie says these issues will be worse among younger people who tend to move home more often and calls on the Scottish government to “get on top” of the issue.

Back at the briefing, the first minister reacts to calls from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to utilise the army to help speed up the vaccination programme.

Ms Sturgeon says the Scottish government will continue to call on the army when, and if, that is required.

"There is no hesitation in doing that and I'm sure we will make use of army resources in the future," she says.

"But I've been very impressed with the public health response, and we have got to support our teams to continue that."

Making Covid testing a "habit" is key to getting through further outbreaks of the virus this summer, says an NHS expert.

Jillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, tells the BBC Scotland coronavirus update programme that testing will be crucial for ensuring the virus stays under control.

“We need to keep encouraging people to see testing as a habit so we can keep on top of outbreaks as they inevitably rise as restrictions ease,” she says.

The NHS official says Grampian has seen big uptake rates for any outreach or walk-in clinics it has run and this is something the rest of the country could consider.

Gordon Chree from STV asks the first minister about the focus shifting to hospital admissions and away from case numbers.

He asks if she has changed tack on her position last summer when there was a push for an "elimination strategy".

Ms Sturgeon says she still believes it is important to try to keep case rates as low as possible, "because the lower they are the less chance of transmission and the less chance of new variants".

But she says, "vaccination changes the game" in how you deal with the pandemic.

"There's got to be a point to us having a mass vaccination programme, and that is it does allow us to change how we deal with this virus in a way which has much less restriction on our day-to-day lives."

The first minister says the number of people not turning up for jab appointments across Scotland is higher now than at the start of the vaccination programme.

In an answer to BBC Scotland, she says: “It was particularly high over the weekend at the Hydro but it is not an issue only affecting the Hydro."

The first minister say the government is considering what flexibility it can build into the system to “nip in the bud” any non-attendance issues.

Ms Sturgeon refers to news that at some vaccination sites over the weekend, there was a significant amount of "no-shows" where people did not turn up for their jab

She says, overall, it is important to stress that uptake levels remain "incredibly high".

The first minister adds: "When people fail to attend, there will be a variety of reasons for this and some of them will not be to down to the individual, so no-one is pointing any fingers here."

Image source, Getty Images

Concluding her opening statements, Ms Sturgeon says all of us continue to have a part to play and speaks about the importance of vaccination.

She says the latest data shows that two doses of either vaccine "offer high levels of protection against this new variant".

The first minister says there will always be people who need hospital treatment, but that going forward "we might not need to react quite so aggressively with tough restrictions in the face of rising case numbers".

"Instead, we hope that we'll be able to rely more on enhanced public health interventions like testing and vaccination and on good public health practises on the part of the public," she adds.

The first minister says stemming case numbers has made tough restrictions necessary during the pandemic.

She says a "significant degree of caution is still appropriate" and that is why, so far, the government has opted to keep Glasgow in level three.

But if continues and increased vaccination breaks the rise in case numbers, Ms Sturgeon says she hopes the response to the virus "can increasingly evolve as well".

Nicola Sturgeon says the impact of the vaccination programme could reduce the amount of “tough restrictions” needed in some parts of Scotland.

As the number of jabs issued topped 3.1m, Ms Sturgeon says an “increasingly vital part” of the Scottish government’s consideration is understanding the “impact of vaccination”.

This could mean that increased community testing and localised acceleration of vaccine rollouts might feature more than further lockdown measures.

Ms Sturgeon says the so-called Indian variant is proving more transmissible and this is reflected in the increased case numbers.

As of 07:30 this morning, 3,138,366 people in Scotland had received their first dose of the vaccine, an increase of 16,421 since yesterday.

In addition, 1,881,214 have received their second dose, an increase of 29,035.

Which means, as of today, more than five million doses of vaccine have been given in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon begins with an update of the latest coronavirus figures.

The first minister confirms that a further 318 people have tested positive for Covid – which is 2% of the tests carried out yesterday.

This takes the total number of positive cases in Scotland to 232,661.

There are 97 people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, an increase of three, and six in intensive care, up one from yesterday.

There have also been two more deaths recorded in the past 24 hours of people who tested positive in the previous 28 days.

That brings the total number of deaths by that measurement to 7,666.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon will begin the Scottish government's coronavirus briefing shortly, with chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith.

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

Concerns have been raised over whether vaccination letters have been sent to correct addresses.

University lecturer Dr Shaina Western and her husband tried to track people down online after they received five letters for people who no longer live in their building in Glasgow.

She said: "Two were for the couple who lived in our unit three-and-a-half years ago.

"One was for someone who recently moved from the UK and two were for people who hadn’t lived here as long as we had been at this address."

Maureen Downey, 35, is an unpaid carer for her 18-year-old son living in the west end of Glasgow.

Despite receiving the AstraZeneca jag on 11 March, she recently received a letter warning her that she had missed her first vaccine appointment.

She contacted the health board after being unable to book a second appointment via the vaccine helpline - and heard there were two conflicting records on her receipt of the vaccine.

"One record said I'd missed the first jag," she said. "I was told there are two different systems - the one which Glasgow health board uses and NHS Inform's booking system, and they don't talk to one another.

"The only reason I eventually got my second appointment was because I pursued it.

"I'm really annoyed - if there was anyone else in the same boat they might not have got it."