Lockdown restrictions in Scotland will be eased from Monday, Nicola Sturgeon has said - but with certain conditions.
The First Minister told the Scottish Parliament that the country would move to Level 0 but face masks will remain "mandatory".
Ms Sturgeon said physical distancing in Level 0 will reduce to one metre in all indoor public settings and outdoors.
But she went on to say that it is a time for "continued caution" and that lifting all restrictions would put people at greater threat and would "risk the imposition of shielding by default".
Image:Nicola Sturgeon says lifting measures will put people at greater threat
Speaking during a virtual meeting of the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said lifting certain mitigations would "put all of us at greater risk", as some measures are relaxed.
She added: "So while Scotland will move to Level 0 from next Monday, we will do so with certain modifications to our indicative plans.
"This is intended to ensure that our pace of easing restrictions is sensible in light of the challenge we continue to face from the Delta variant."
Scotland will lift restrictions on 19 July but face masks will remain mandatory
Up to eight people can meet indoors from four households from Monday
10 people from four households can meet in an indoor public place
Pubs and restaurants can stay open until midnight - scrapping 11pm curfew
Working from home should continue where possible until 9 August
Fully vaccinated travellers coming from amber list countries will no longer have to self-isolate
There are still reasons to be concerned amid high case numbers and hospital admissions
Scotland records 2,529 new coronavirus cases and four new deaths in past 24 hours
She confirmed that certain measures including the mandatory wearing of face masks would remain in place for some time to come.
"Measures like the continued wearing of face coverings are important, not just to give added protection to the population as a whole, but also to give protection and assurance to those amongst us who are particularly vulnerable and previously had to shield," she continued.
Image:A COVID-19 information sign at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh
Ms Sturgeon's latest announcement means the number of people who can meet indoors will rise to eight people from four households from Monday.
Meanwhile, 10 people from four households will be able to meet in an indoor public place such as a pub.
Under the new rules, 15 people from 15 households can meet outdoors.
The new rules also mean that hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants will be able to open until midnight - scrapping the previous 11pm closure time - while soft play centres in areas moving from Level 2 can also reopen.
However, nightclubs and adult entertainment will have to remain shut.
Image:Hospitality businesses will be able to open until midnight
Mass stadium events will also be able to admit more people, with 2,000 seated patrons and 1,000 standing, while indoor events will be limited to 400 people.
Fully vaccinated travellers and children arriving into Scotland from amber list countries will no longer be required to self-isolate and take a day eight test from Monday, but adults and children over 12 will still take tests before travelling and on day two after arrival.
Anyone testing positive for or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 will still require to isolate for 10 days.
Ms Sturgeon also said that Scotland must not treat young people "as an experiment" when it comes to Long COVID.
But the First Minister said working from home should continue where possible.
She said the "gradual return" would be delayed until all the country moves beyond Level 0 - hoped to be on 9 August.
She said hospital admissions and intensive care admissions should be taken seriously to limit the amount of Long COVID seen in Scotland.
"Indeed, it is one of the main reasons that we cannot be complacent about young people getting the virus," Ms Sturgeon added.
"To say that it doesn't matter - when we don't yet fully understand what the long-term consequences might be - would risk treating the younger generation as an experiment. We should not do that."
Analysis by James Matthews, Scotland correspondent
Not a day to cry freedom. Not for Nicola Sturgeon, who'd already prepared Scotland for pulling the reins.
She had signposted that planned dates for easing restrictions were not "set in stone". She had little choice following a period in which Scotland had the worst daily case rates in Europe.
It was clear the first minister would neither stick nor twist but, instead, opt for a bit of both.
Public health consultants have warned that on infection numbers, deaths and the ability of hospitals to cope, Scotland's situation remains fragile.
Nicola Sturgeon would have considered their concerns as she mulled over her next move with cabinet colleagues on Tuesday morning.
She would have heard, too, the full-throated cry of "irresponsible" from senior doctors south of the border as they denounced Boris Johnson's plans to lift most of the last remaining restrictions.
By now, there’s an expectation of divergence from the Downing Street line. It has become the political given throughout the COVID pandemic.
Sadly, neither first Minister nor prime minister can deliver the scientific certainty of what lies beyond the latest fork in the road.
Lockdown restrictions in Scotland will be eased from Monday, Nicola Sturgeon has said - but with certain conditions.
The First Minister told the Scottish Parliament that the country would move to Level 0 but face masks will remain "mandatory".
Ms Sturgeon said physical distancing in Level 0 will reduce to one metre in all indoor public settings and outdoors.
But she went on to say that it is a time for "continued caution" and that lifting all restrictions would put people at greater threat and would "risk the imposition of shielding by default".
Image:Nicola Sturgeon says lifting measures will put people at greater threat
Speaking during a virtual meeting of the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said lifting certain mitigations would "put all of us at greater risk", as some measures are relaxed.
She added: "So while Scotland will move to Level 0 from next Monday, we will do so with certain modifications to our indicative plans.
"This is intended to ensure that our pace of easing restrictions is sensible in light of the challenge we continue to face from the Delta variant."
Scotland will lift restrictions on 19 July but face masks will remain mandatory
Up to eight people can meet indoors from four households from Monday
10 people from four households can meet in an indoor public place
Pubs and restaurants can stay open until midnight - scrapping 11pm curfew
Working from home should continue where possible until 9 August
Fully vaccinated travellers coming from amber list countries will no longer have to self-isolate
There are still reasons to be concerned amid high case numbers and hospital admissions
Scotland records 2,529 new coronavirus cases and four new deaths in past 24 hours
She confirmed that certain measures including the mandatory wearing of face masks would remain in place for some time to come.
"Measures like the continued wearing of face coverings are important, not just to give added protection to the population as a whole, but also to give protection and assurance to those amongst us who are particularly vulnerable and previously had to shield," she continued.
Image:A COVID-19 information sign at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh
Ms Sturgeon's latest announcement means the number of people who can meet indoors will rise to eight people from four households from Monday.
Meanwhile, 10 people from four households will be able to meet in an indoor public place such as a pub.
Under the new rules, 15 people from 15 households can meet outdoors.
The new rules also mean that hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants will be able to open until midnight - scrapping the previous 11pm closure time - while soft play centres in areas moving from Level 2 can also reopen.
However, nightclubs and adult entertainment will have to remain shut.
Image:Hospitality businesses will be able to open until midnight
Mass stadium events will also be able to admit more people, with 2,000 seated patrons and 1,000 standing, while indoor events will be limited to 400 people.
Fully vaccinated travellers and children arriving into Scotland from amber list countries will no longer be required to self-isolate and take a day eight test from Monday, but adults and children over 12 will still take tests before travelling and on day two after arrival.
Anyone testing positive for or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 will still require to isolate for 10 days.
Ms Sturgeon also said that Scotland must not treat young people "as an experiment" when it comes to Long COVID.
But the First Minister said working from home should continue where possible.
She said the "gradual return" would be delayed until all the country moves beyond Level 0 - hoped to be on 9 August.
She said hospital admissions and intensive care admissions should be taken seriously to limit the amount of Long COVID seen in Scotland.
"Indeed, it is one of the main reasons that we cannot be complacent about young people getting the virus," Ms Sturgeon added.
"To say that it doesn't matter - when we don't yet fully understand what the long-term consequences might be - would risk treating the younger generation as an experiment. We should not do that."
Analysis by James Matthews, Scotland correspondent
Not a day to cry freedom. Not for Nicola Sturgeon, who'd already prepared Scotland for pulling the reins.
She had signposted that planned dates for easing restrictions were not "set in stone". She had little choice following a period in which Scotland had the worst daily case rates in Europe,
It was clear the First Minister would neither stick nor twist but, instead, opt for a bit of both.
Public health consultants have warned that on infection numbers, deaths and the ability of hospitals to cope, Scotland's situation remains fragile.
Nicola Sturgeon would have considered their concerns as she mulled over her next move with cabinet colleagues on Tuesday morning.
She would have heard, too, the full-throated cry of "irresponsible" from senior doctors south of the border as they denounced Boris Johnson's plans to lift most of the last remaining restrictions.
By now, there’s an expectation of divergence from the Downing Street line. It has become the political given throughout the COVID pandemic. Sadly, neither First Minister nor Prime Minister can deliver the scientific certainty of what lies beyond the latest fork in the road.
Parts of London received a month's worth of rain in one day, causing flash floods.
On Monday 47.8mm of rain fell in a 24-hour period in Kew, most of it in just one hour. The average monthly rainfall in July is 44.5mm.
Residents were evacuated from their homes and train services cancelled, while cars were submerged in water.
London Fire Brigade said it had taken more than 1,000 calls related to flooding.
A spokesperson for the service said: "We're asking people not to walk through or drive through the floodwater. Floodwater can be contaminated and vehicles can become unstable."
Among those to suffer was Queen guitarist Brian May, who lives in Kensington.
The rock star said he was "angry" after a number of his "precious" belongings were ruined during the flooding.
'Disgusting and heart-breaking'
In a post on Instagram, he wrote: "The whole bottom floor had been inundated with a sewage overflow - which has covered our carpets, rugs and all kinds of precious (to us) things in a stinking sludge.
"It's disgusting, and actually quite heart-breaking," the We Will Rock You writer added. "It feels like we have been invaded, desecrated."
Daisy King, from Holland Park, described how she came home to find more than two feet of water in her flat.
Daisy King
She said: "It was up to my knees and all my stuff was floating about in it.
"The fridge and oven were half-filled with water and books and records were ruined."
One resident in Maida Vale said his basement was "under at least a foot of water, and it was black, so it is sewage water".
Shane, who lives on Shirland Road, said "everything was wrecked" by the floods which "subsided quickly" when the rain stopped.
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The faster we dump the cautious behaviour of the last 15 months, the bigger the peak in infections, hospital admissions and deaths over the summer and autumn.
The documents from the government's scientific advisers on the SAGE committee show a range of possible scenarios that depend on vaccine uptake, the effectiveness of the jabs at stopping people from spreading the virus, and, significantly, on how quickly we return to normal life.
That assumes that people still hold on to behaviours that together reduce transmission of the virus by around 20%.
More on Covid-19
That's a combination of things, but in essence the more people who avoid crowded indoor areas and wear a mask when that's not possible, work from home and so on, the better.
And the slower people relax and go back to normal the better.
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'Don't have a great jubilee' on 19 July - PM
If there is a small change in behaviour at first, with a return to normality over one month, then the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 will be close to the peak in January that threatened to overwhelm the NHS.
If the return to normality is over five months, then the peak in hospital occupancy will be less than half that.
A key metric in determining how easy it is for the virus spreads is the number of contacts we have with people from outside our household.
Before the pandemic we had 11 a day on average - with younger people having more than those a bit older.
Right now the average is six, so roughly half the social contact we had before COVID. And it hasn't changed significantly as lockdown has been rolled back.
People do seem to be cautious. Surveys show the majority intend to keep using masks in many situations.
But the mixed messaging from ministers over the need for precautions threatens to undermine that, and the new models show the consequences for the NHS could be serious.
Between 1,000 and 2,000 COVID-19 patients a day could be admitted to hospital in England at the peak of the third wave and there may be 100 to 200 daily deaths, government scientists believe.
The number of daily infections in this latest wave is not expected to peak before mid-August, according to papers newly released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
Experts are urging the public to "go slow" once most restrictions lift on 19 July, in order to curb infections and cut the number of people who will die from COVID-19.
They recommend workers do not all head back to the office from mid-July, continue to wear masks in crowded spaces, and stay at home when infected or contacted by the NHS app or NHS Test and Trace.
Scientists claim if people revert to normal pre-pandemic behaviour all at once on 19 July, then there will be a big wave of infection and larger numbers admitted to hospital.
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Instead, if behaviour reverts to normal over several months, the impact will be lower.
All coronavirus limits on gatherings will be removed on 19 July, masks will no longer be legally required, social distancing measures will be scrapped and the order to work from home will be lifted.
But Boris Johnson urged the nation to proceed with caution, saying the government was recommending people still wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces such as public transport.
And the prime minister also said at a news conference he was not expecting the whole country to return to their desks next Monday.
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He went on: "This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before COVID."
England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: "The slower we takes it, the fewer people will have COVID, the smaller the peak will be and the smaller the number of people who go into hospital and die."
He continued: "If we go slowly with the next stage of the roadmap, the expectation is this will not reach the point where it is putting unsustainable pressure on the NHS."
On 19 July being chosen as the time to lift restrictions, despite opposition from some scientists, Prof Whitty said: "There is no such thing as an ideal date."
"There is no clear evidence that a delay now is going to make a difference," he added.
The figures compare with 31,772 infections and 26 deaths announced yesterday, while 27,334 cases and nine fatalities were recorded this time last week.
It is the sixth day in a row where total cases have been more than 30,000.
According to the latest government data, 563 COVID patients were admitted to hospital on 6 July and a total of 3,081 people were admitted over seven days - a weekly rise of 56.6%.
Several swear words were daubed across the mural alongside the word "Saka".
Greater Manchester Police said an investigation had been launched after the force received a report of racially aggravated damage at 02:50 BST.
Appealing for information, Ch Supt Paul Savill said: "Hate crime in any form is completely unacceptable and not welcome here in our city."
The artwork, based on a photograph by Daniel Cheetham and painted by street artist Akse, was created in collaboration with Withington Walls, a community street art project.
It was commissioned in recognition of Rashford's work to tackle child food poverty.
The Manchester United forward's mother provided the quote on the mural, which reads: "Take pride in knowing that your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose."
Reuters
Ed Wellard, who co-founded Withington Walls, said he woke up to the news the mural had been defaced.
"I've come out to fix what I could immediately and cover up what I couldn't and hopefully we will get the artist out to come and fix it," he said.
"We dared to dream yesterday and our hopes were dashed but to wake up to this is more depressing. Racism seems to be more and more prevalent."
