At last, face freedom for shoppers... well, most!

FOR almost two years it has been a feature of the shopping experience. However, many people made it clear they were happy to ditch their face masks yesterday after the legal requirement to wear them in a host of indoor settings was dropped. The wearing of masks on public transport and in most indoor public spaces in Scotland has been ditched as the rule moved to guidance yesterday. However, though the final restriction in law has been lifted, the Scottish Government is strongly recommending people continue to wear face coverings where appropriate as Covid-19 continues to spread. It also means wearing face coverings in school corridors will not be mandatory, although it will be encouraged. The move brings Scotland into line with the rest of the UK. Both ScotRail and the ferry operator CalMac have said they are strongly recommending that passengers continue to wear face coverings.

Shoppers with and without masks could be seen out and about in the St Enoch Centre in Glasgow yesterday, with many taking advantage of the change to mask rules.

The use of face coverings became mandatory in shops in Scotland on July 10, 2020. The measure was introduced at a time when the easing of restrictions saw the reopening of non-essential shops in Scotland.

Just a month before, the World Health Organisation had changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public where social distancing is not possible to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The body said new information showed they could provide ‘a barrier for potentially infectious droplets’.