Nicola Sturgeon has taken aim at Boris Johnson's plans to trigger stage 4 of the UK Government's roadmap out of Lockdown. 'Freedom Day' on July 19 is set to see a wave of coronavirus measures lifted with an end to mandatory mask-wearing, and table service only in bars and restaurants. However, the SNP leader has slammed the planned easing as "throwing caution to the wind" during a Covid briefing in Edinburgh.

       Ms Sturgeon said: "We cannot simply throw all caution to the wind and no longer worry at all about rising levels of infection."

       "It is worth pointing out the path the UK Government is embarking on for England – which is entirely a matter for them – a path of not just lifting all restrictions from July 19 but also removing the requirement for basic mitigations like face masks, and doing so against the backdrop of sharply increasing case numbers, is something of an exception," she continued.

       "While I totally understood the desire some have for us to follow suit in every single step, we have to think carefully about the steps we do take at this juncture.

       "My job is not to take the easy decisions in a quest for popularity, it is to do what I think is most likely to keep the country as safe as possible as we get to the end of the vaccination programme.

       "Over the next few weeks, as we complete the vaccination programme, it is really important that we don't let the virus outrun us."

       The Scottish First Minister suggests that media coverage of the new rules for England had the potential to confuse Scots over what health measures to follow.

       Ms Sturgeon said: "If we are going at different paces and doing things in slightly different order … the sheer domination of the coverage from England into Scotland in a media sense can confuse the messaging here and perhaps give people the idea that things are being advised that are not being advised.

       "Obviously, you will hear a lot from us to just remind people that, from July 19, we will still be required to wear facing coverings in Scotland, even if it's not in England."

       More to follow...