Schools in Scotland should tomorrow have a better idea of when more pupils can start returning for face-to-face learning with teachers.

Most pupils have been away from school buildings since the Christmas holidays, but first minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to provide an update tomorrow.

In her daily coronavirus briefing today, Ms Sturgeon said that the review of restrictions will set out the Scottish government’s position on schools and nurseries, and “how and when we might be able to start to resume in-person learning and childcare”, as well as expanded Covid testing arrangements in these sectors.

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The Scottish government has already said the current restrictions will last until at least the middle of February, including continued remote learning for the vast majority of pupils, but the statement to MSPs will provide some detail on “other steps we are planning to take”, the first minister said today.

Coronavirus: When will pupils return to school in Scotland?

These include going further than current proposals in the UK for quarantine hotels and other measures aimed at making current travel restrictions “more effective”.

Ms Sturgeon will also provide an update on asymptomatic community testing after pilot projects were run towards the end of last year, with councils having put forward plans for making “much more extensive use” of community testing.

Statement on schools to be made at the Scottish Parliament tomorrow.

FM @NicolaSturgeon says she will set out latest thinking on how in-person learning might resume.

Live updates ➡https://t.co/fCTxpflHf4 pic.twitter.com/gdJ6pt4mSf

- BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) February 1, 2021

Ms Sturgeon said: “Tomorrow’s statement is also going to cover some of the measures we will be taking to help us control the virus as we continue to suppress it, and in time gradually start to ease the lockdown restrictions.”

She said “the current lockdown is working” as infections are falling - with 848 new cases recorded in Scotland in the past 24 hours, with a daily test positivity rate of 9.5 per cent.

She added: “That said, case numbers are still high, too high, much higher than we would want them to be, so we need to get them down further - then we need to keep them as low as possible.”

Scotland has recorded six deaths of coronavirus patients in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll under this measure - people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - to 6,112.

There are 1,958 people in hospital confirmed to have Covid-19, up 17 in 24 hours. Of these, the number of patients in intensive care remained unchanged at 143.

The EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has urged the Scottish government to err on the side of caution before opening up schools to more pupils than the small numbers already in school buildings.

General secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Everyone is keen to see schools reopen as soon as possible but this can only happen when it is safe to do, both in terms of suppressing community infection levels and also operating schools safely. Whilst community infection levels have dropped, they remain high and a premature opening of schools would simply push the R figure up again, leading potentially to a further period of lockdown.

“The EIS notes that the UK government, not known for its caution, has indicated mid-March as its target for schools to reopen. We would urge the Scottish government to exhibit an equally cautious approach and not to gamble with school safety.”

Mr Flanagan added: “The significant new factor is the increased transmissibility of the new Covid variant which seems to apply as equally to children as to adults. The absence of physical distancing amongst pupils was predicated previously on advice that children played a lesser role in transmission - that would appear to no longer be the case and therefore distancing may be required when pupils return, which would mean the introduction of blended learning.

“Reducing the numbers in schools may be critical to their safe operation - for example halving the number of pupils and staff in a classroom doubles the efficacy of the ventilation arrangements, significantly lowering the risk of in-class transmission.”

*For instant updates from the first minister’s announcement, follow @TesScotland, @Emma_Seith and @Henry_Hepburn on Twitter.