Do you still have to wear a face mask in Scotland? New rule change explained

Scotland’s remaining legal requirements to wear face masks have been lifted today.

This means you will no longer be breaking the law for not wearing a covering in public places, including shops, public transport and restaurants.

The legal requirements will move into guidance from Monday, April 18.

However, Scots have been ‘strongly recommended’ to continue wearing masks in certain settings, including busy and crowded places.

Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scots to continue wearing face coverings in indoor settings ‘where possible’.

Meanwhile people without symptoms of the virus are no longer being asked to take regular lateral flow tests as of April 18 as part of changes to the test and protect system.

Free lateral flow devices (LFDs) for twice weekly routine testing are no longer available for the general population.

However the tests will continue to be free for any purpose for which testing continues to be advised – for clinical care, health and social care workers and for people visiting vulnerable individuals in care homes or hospitals.

The First Minister said that "although the use of face coverings will become guidance rather than a legal requirement I strongly recommend members of the public continue wearing face coverings in indoor settings where possible, and particularly when significant numbers of people are present.

“We should also all continue to follow the latest advice on hygiene, ventilation, testing and of course vaccination to protect ourselves and each other.”

It comes as Nicola Sturgeon was reported to police after footage showed her apparently breaching her own covid face mask law on the council election campaign trail.

A video posted on social media appears to show Scotland's First Minister not wearing a mask during a visit to a barber's in East Kilbride on Saturday.

Here is a reminder of the places where Scots were ordered to wear a face covering - with the majority of places keeping the legal requirement in until next week.

• Shops
• Public transport services and premises, including bus stops
• Taxis and hire vehicles
• Bars, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs and takeaways
• Hair salons, beauty and nail parlours, tattoo studios and any other indoor close contact service setting
• Crematoriums and funeral parlours
• Gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools and indoor fitness studios
• Community centres
• Conference or exhibition centres
• Banks, building societies, registration offices
• Hotels
• During a driving lesson or test
• Libraries, museums and galleries
• Indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas, bingo halls, comedy clubs, theatres, concert halls, sport stadia
• Indoor leisure facilities, such as casinos, amusement arcades, soft play centres, indoor funfairs, among others
• Indoors places where clubs and societies meet
• Any indoor, or part of an indoor public space used as a polling station or for counting votes
• Storage and distribution facilities, including collection and drop off points
• In communal areas and canteens in workplaces, this includes tradespeople working in homes, colleges and universities, health care settings, such as dentists, hospitals and care homes, and any other indoor setting where work is carried out
• In places of worship (in guidance from April 4)
• Marriage ceremonies and civil partnership registrations, funeral services, and commemorative events, such as a memorial service (in guidance from April 4)

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