| Good afternoon, Welcome to your breaking coronavirus briefing from The Scotsman. We have been reporting the news important to Scotland since 1817, but we have never faced a greater threat to our survival. Like many businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic has badly hit our industry and we need our loyal readers' help to keep going. If you value trusted, quality journalism, please consider taking out a subscription with us from just £3 a month. Thank you. 'A great reason to be optimistic for the future' A landmark study has today revealed the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine can reduce the risk of hospital admission by up to 94 per cent. The research, from several Scottish universities and Public Health Scotland, is the first of its kind and is national evidence the vaccine provides protection from hospitalisation. Read more about what this means for people in Scotland here. Way out of lockdown will not be 'identical' to England's Young children returned to schools in Scotland today as Nicola Sturgeon prepares to make an announcement about Scotland's easing of lockdown. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is sharing a 'roadmap' for England's lifting of lockdown this evening – but the First Minister said Scotland's plan would not be exactly the same. Here's what Nicola Sturgeon had to say and what we can expect in her announcement tomorrow. More Covid news today >> Don't miss the latest breaking coronavirus news as it happens on our LIVE blog. Thank you for reading and stay safe, Ginny - [email protected] | 
