Redesigned classrooms and changed working practices in offices could offer an exit from coronavirus lockdown measures, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The Scottish government published a new document on Thursday setting out how it will approach plans to lift the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ms Sturgeon warned that social distancing measures might be in place in some form beyond the end of this year and that Christmas "may happen slightly differently".

But she outlined how schools and some businesses might reopen prior to that.

Life in Lockdown: Scotland

"It may be that some businesses in some sectors can reopen, but only if they can change how they work to keep employees and customers two metres distant from each other," she said.


"With schools, classrooms may have to be redesigned to allow social distancing, so maybe not all children can go back to, and be at, school at the same time."

She added that "some limited outdoor activity might be able to restart earlier than indoor activity", but "big gatherings and events are likely to be off for some months to come".

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The Scottish government will "consider" whether lockdown measures could be eased further in some parts of the country than others, but Ms Sturgeon stressed her preference for "as much consistency as possible".

Older people and those with other health conditions might have to continue isolating themselves "for the foreseeable future", the first minister added.

It came as it was revealed the number of deaths in Scottish hospitals of people with coronavirus has risen by 58, bringing the total to 1,120.

Ms Sturgeon described her government's document as a "first cut", designed to begin a "grown-up conversation" about how to begin "restoring a semblance of normality to our lives".

She stressed the possible steps discussed in the paper were just options for the time being and would be reassessed as necessary, with a "detailed plan" to be produced later.

The first minister also warned Scots to prepare for a "new normal" and a "way of living alongside this virus" because "a return to normal as we knew it is not on the cards in the near future".

"Talk about lifting lockdown as if it's a 'flick of the switch' moment is misguided," she added.

"Our steps, when we take them, will need to be careful, gradual, incremental and probably quite small to start with.

"We'll need to assess them in advance and monitor them in action - sometimes... we may even have to reverse things."

She admitted there was a "real risk", as lockdown measures are eased in the future, that "COVID-19 runs rampant again".

Image: Social distancing measures in place at a business in Glasgow , which makes free scrubs for NHS nurses and doctors

Ms Sturgeon's willingness to discuss how the lockdown might be eased is in contrast to the UK government, which has so far refused to discuss how or when stringent measures might end.

Ministers at Westminster have voiced fears that discussing an end to the lockdown might dilute their key message to the public, who are being told to stay at home to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Within the Scottish government's document, it states: "Easing restrictions in particular settings is likely to see the continuation of physical distancing and other hygiene measures (such as maintaining 2 metre distancing when premises re-open and/or limiting the number of people that can be in confined spaces at the same time)."

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Earlier this month, Denmark became one of the first European countries to begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures.

It has reopened schools and day care centres to younger children, while small businesses such as hairdressers have also been allowed to open their doors again.

However, the country is keeping its borders shut, and curbs on restaurants, bars and gyms remain in place, as does a ban on large public gatherings.