The use of face coverings is now mandatory in shops and in retail environments in Scotland from today as we moved into phase three of the lockdown exit strategy. 

This comes after face coverings became mandatory on public transport back in June 22 to help reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19.

Physical distancing of two metres remains the law, however on public transport and in retail settings exceptions will be allowed once appropriate mitigations are in place.

The public are not required to wear surgical or other medical grade masks when entering a shop or retail premises, but rather a covering of the nose and mouth that is made of cloth, or other textiles, through which you can breathe, such as a scarf.

Surgical face coverings should be left for medical professionals.

The public do not need to wear a face covering in hospitality premises such as cafes, coffee shops, restaurants or pubs, or in money services businesses such as banks and building societies.

While some people are also not required to wear a face covering.

These include:

  • children under 5 years of age
  • police constables or workers such as paramedics acting in the course of their duty 
  • staff such as drivers or checkout assistants who are physically separated, by means of, for example, screens, from passengers or customers
  • shop workers if they maintain a 2 metre distance from customers or members of the public

You may also have a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering if, for example:

  • you need to eat or drink
  • you are taking medication
  • you are communicating with someone else who relies on lip reading
  • a relevant person, such as a police officer, asks you to remove your face covering

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The advice from the Scottish Government remains that to prevent spread of the virus the public should follow the FACTS by wearing face coverings, avoiding crowded places, cleaning our hands regularly, maintaining a two metre distance and self isolating and booking a test if we have any symptoms.