Covid legal restrictions to end on March 21

Scotland’s legal Covid restrictions, including the wearing of face coverings, will end on Monday March 21, writes Sandy Neil.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in Holyrood on Tuesday people would still be advised to wear masks in shops and on public transport.

But all legal restrictions on people and businesses will end in an effort to ‘return to a normal way of life’. The vaccine passport scheme finishes on Monday February 28. The Scottish Government’s plan for dealing with the pandemic will rely on vaccines, treatments and ‘good public health behaviours’.

Ms Sturgeon warned this is not ‘a signal that Covid no longer presents any risk to health’. People will still be asked to self-isolate if they test positive for Covid.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signalled Scotland must self-fund mass free lateral flow tests after April.