Firms in Scotland can move to a “hybrid” system of home and office working next week, Nicola Sturgeon confirms.
Image source, Getty Images
Guidance urging people to work from home wherever possible in Scotland is to be relaxed in favour of a “hybrid” system of office and remote working.
Employers have been asked to phase workers back into spending some time in the office from Monday 31 January.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the move was possible due to a “significant” fall in Covid-19 cases.
But she warned that a “mass return” to offices overnight could run the risk of pushing infection levels up again.
Meanwhile, the requirement for 2m physical distancing in some indoor settings like churches is to be relaxed, while the rules for schools are being “kept under close and regular review”.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that Covid case numbers in Scotland had fallen by “just over a quarter” in the past week, from an average of 10,000 infections per day to just over 7,000.
The number of people being admitted to hospital with the virus has also fallen, as has the number in intensive care.
Monday marked a “significant return to normality” with nightclubs reopening, curbs on hospitality businesses being eased and crowd limits for indoor events being dropped.
And the first minister said the “significantly improved situation” meant that restrictions could be eased further.
Image source, PA Media
Scottish employers had been urged to enable home working wherever practical, but from Monday this will be replaced by a “hybrid” system.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We would not expect to see a wholesale return to the office next week – indeed, given that the level of infection though falling remains high, a mass return at this stage is likely to set progress back.
“But we know there are many benefits to both employees and employers, and to the economy as a whole, in at least a partial return to the office at this stage.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.