Brits could be allowed to socialize in “clusters”
Similar plans are also being considered in Belgium.
Scotland’s government has gone further than UK officials in laying out how lockdown might eventually be eased.
Yesterday Ms Sturgeon (published a) – page document saying outdoor activities might resume, and businesses may reopen if they can keep customers and staff 2 meters apart.
The First Minister also suggested schools could reopen with modifications needed in some classrooms.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to comment in detail on the plan for the whole of the UK.
But today he said Ms Sturgeon’s plan was “essentially a reiteration” of his own five tests of when lockdown can be relaxed.
Those five tests are: the NHS able to cope; a sustained fall in deaths; infections dropping to ‘manageable’ rates; adequate testing and PPE; and no risk of a second peak.
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Radio Scotland no decisions have been made on such a “bubble” arrangement.
) But she said she wants to have an open conversation with the public about the way forward.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I know from my own parents who are not seeing their grandkids just know, I understand the anguish of that.
“We’re all missing seeing our loved ones so we all want to get beyond that as quickly as possible.
“Every country is going through these decisions, none of us are through this pandemic yet, but some countries are starting to look at slightly expanding what people would define as their household – encouraging people who live alone to maybe match up with somebody else who is on their own or a couple of other people to have almost kind of bubbles of people. “
She added: “And the key thing there is, if you’re seeing maybe one or two m ore people outside your household, it’s got to be the same people on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis so you’re still limiting the ability for the virus to transmit.
“Now, none of these are fixed decisions yet, but these are all the kind of things we’re trying to work through.
“What we’re trying to do is to do is, how do we get a semblance of normality back into our lives because the lockdown – it is essential that people stick with it just now – but it’s having consequences of its own.
Brits could be allowed to socialize in “clusters”
The First Minister said any easing of the lockdown will be gradual and life “will not be normal for some time to come”.
Lockdown has the potential to return multiple times if the virus spikes again.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said the key factor in easing lockdown will be speed with which number of new cases reduces.
Once lockdown is eased, the key factor in keeping it that way will be a “test and trace” program.
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Some , Officials are being recruited to monitor any contacts with the virus, with the help of an NHS app.
Mr Hancock said this program could allow the UK to “Hold down” the number of cases with “fewer restrictions”. But he refused to say what areas of society might open up first.
Ministers have previously said pubs and restaurants will be among the last to reopen, with schools expected to be among the first.
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