Notice: The Chamber's documentation and customs declaration services announce festive opening hours. Click here to view.

Nicola Sturgeon will today reveal how the Scottish Government plans to manage the pandemic going forward.

The first minister will present a new strategic framework to MSPs in a Holyrood statement after 2pm - a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all legal restrictions will end in England.

Ms Sturgeon said her aim was to get back to normality while maintaining "vigilance" against future outbreaks.

Covid Recovery Fund

Ahead of her statement, the first minister announced a new £80million Covid Economic Recovery Fund targeting support for businesses and communities.

Councils will have the flexibility to target support either using existing schemes like Scotland Loves Local, Business Improvement Districts or place based investment programmes, or individual local authority grant schemes.

In addition, a further £3million has been allocated to the City Centre Recovery Fund, which supports sustainable economic recovery for seven city local authority areas including by driving footfall to businesses hit hard by the pandemic.

'Back to normality'

Speaking ahead of her announcement today, Ms Sturgeon said: "This £80million Covid Economic Recovery Fund allows councils to consider the needs of local businesses, communities and households and to target support to maximise economic recovery in their areas.

“We know public health measures which were necessary to control COVID-19 have had a severe economic impact and, since the start of the pandemic, businesses have benefitted from more than £4.4 billion in support from the Scottish Government.

“It is our aim to get back to normality as quickly as possible. Our updated Strategic Framework, which I will set out to Parliament tomorrow, will support resilience in communities across Scotland by outlining robust plans to prepare for possible new variants or other future emergencies, should we need to act to protect public health.

"Of course, the best way to support business sustainably is to act responsibly and to sustainably manage the risks the virus presents as we begin to live the more normal life that we all crave."

More like this…

View all