‘Ongoing Need’ for facemasks in Scotland when restrictions are lifted

The SNP government has said there will be “ongoing need” for face coverings when all other restrictions are lifted on 9 August.

It said that while measures are “under review” people could still be expected to wear masks on public transport and in shops.

In England, however, wearing masks is soon expected to become a “personal responsibility”.

All legal restrictions are expected to be lifted in England on 19 July.

Scotland is due to move to level zero on 19 July, with all other major legal restrictions scheduled to be dropped on 9 August.

However, that does not currently include the wearing of face coverings, which could continue in certain settings – for example, shops and public transport.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government said decisions had not yet been made on “baseline” measures after the move.

“We will take account of social and economic factors as well as the epidemiological impact on transmission and will keep measures under review.

“As the first minister has set out, we will have to manage living with Covid 19 for some time to come, even when we are able to move beyond level zero.

“There will still be some ongoing need for face coverings, for example on public transport and in retail, and we will be working with sectors to establish baseline mitigations and produce further guidance by end of July.”