Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has praised school leavers for their “resilience” during the coronavirus lockdown, as the school year ends in many parts of the country this week.

In her daily Covid-19 briefing, Ms Sturgeon directly addressed secondary students whose last day at school was far earlier than expected.

“I am so sorry that you are not able to celebrate this milestone in your life with your teachers and your classmates in the usual way,” she said.

Ms Sturgeon said she knew this was a “bitter pill”, but told them to be “very proud” of their “resilience” during the coronavirus pandemic.

News: Social distancing prevents ‘anywhere close’ to 100% attendance

Sturgeon: Social distancing rules to be re-examined

Background: Edinburgh reopening plan not good enough, says Swinney

Opinion: ‘Education is becoming a political football once again’

Ms Sturgeon made the comments at around the same time that prime minister Boris Johnson was announcing that, in England, the social distancing rule will change from two metres to one metre from 4 July, which has profound implications for how schools will reopen.

She said that this change did not apply to Scotland - the government’s scientific advisory group is expected to report to her by 2 July - but did reveal that she would announce further plans for easing lockdown tomorrow, earlier than originally planned.

Ms Sturgeon - who spoke before her deputy, education secretary John Swinney, was due to address Parliament this afternoon on reopening schools - said that she wanted schools to reopen fully “as soon as possible”, but cautioned that “it must be safe”. She also said there had been some worrying development in countries that were further ahead in reopening schools, including “flare-ups in some schools in England”.