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Face masks could be made mandatory in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon warns

Members of the public queue at a McDonalds in Glasgow as the fast food chain continues to open drive throughs -  Getty Images Europe
Members of the public queue at a McDonalds in Glasgow as the fast food chain continues to open drive throughs - Getty Images Europe
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

Face masks could be made mandatory in Scotland in enclosed spaces such as shops and buses, Nicola Sturgeon has warned amid reports that most people are ignoring guidance to wear them.

The First Minister said she thought the measure would be “inevitable” in areas where social distancing is difficult, although she added no final decision had yet been made.

In particular, she suggested the change could be necessary on public transport when people return to work, leading to buses and trains becoming much busier.

However, she slapped down Mike Russell, her Constitution Minister, whom the previous day argued that he wanted face masks to be so commonplace that shoppers stare down fellow customers not wearing one.

Ms Sturgeon said she would "never encourage" Scots to challenge each other and there would be exemptions for those with medical conditions such as asthma and some children.

Nicola Sturgeon has warned face coverings may be made mandatory - PA
Nicola Sturgeon has warned face coverings may be made mandatory - PA

The First Minister published official guidance at the end of April that Scots over the age of two should wear a cloth covering, such as a scarf or t-shirt, indoors where social distancing is difficult.

Rather than protecting the wearer, the First Minister said the main benefit was helping prevent asymptomatic carriers who do not realise they have the virus from passing it on.

But anecdotal evidence has suggested most people have ignored her advice, with Mr Russell stating on Wednesday that he was the only person wearing a covering when he visited a petrol station.

Annabel Ewing, the SNP MSP for Cowdenbeath, told a Holyrood committee she was "the only person in the entire shop wearing a face covering" when she visited a supermarket the previous night.

Ms Sturgeon announced she is considering making face masks a legal requirement despite Scotland's daily death toll dropping to single figures for the first time since March 27.

Speaking at her daily briefing, she said nine more people had died from the virus over the previous 24 hours. The R number, measuring how many people are infected by each carrier, has dropped to between 0.7 to 0.9.

The Scottish Government published a forecast estimating that the number of infectious people has dropped from 20,500 on May 8 to 9,500 on Friday this week, and the total will fall to 8,000 by June 12.

However, Ms Sturgeon said the R number does not take into account the impact of lockdown being eased last Friday. She has threatened new laws imposing a five-mile travel limit following widespread flouting of her guidelines last weekend.

Asked whether she could make face coverings mandatory, she said: "Yes, it is under consideration. We haven't reached a final decision on this but I think it is fair to say it is something that we are considering.

"I think that is inevitable. I understand why some people may not want to wear face coverings.

“But there is a benefit to be had if you wear a face covering in an enclosed space where physical distancing is a bit more difficult."

She said there is evidence that wearing a covering protects others "if you have the virus and are not symptomatic", and "strongly" encouraged the public to consider one.

"Particularly as more people are going back to work, which is not now I should stress, but in the future more people are using public transport I think we will want to see more people, where they can, wearing a face covering," she said.

"And if we have to change the nature and status of the advice we're giving to people to make that happen, then that has clearly got to be something that we are prepared to keep under consideration."