Nicola Sturgeon 'confident' most Scots will continue with masks after easing

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is confident Scots will continue to wear face masks after rules are eased.

The final coronavirus restrictions in law in Scotland will ease on Monday, as the wearing of face coverings in public places including public transport move into guidance.

But the Scottish Government has urged Scots to keep wearing masks as Covid-19 continues to spread through the country.

Sturgeon told PA News agency: “I’m not saying every single person will (continue to wear masks), people will make their own decisions.

“But I think, just as the vast majority of people have abided by all that we’ve asked of them over the last two years – not because politicians have been asking or the law necessarily has required it – because people understand that the best way to protect themselves and protect those they love is to abide by these really sensible, basic precautions against the spread of a virus.

“We can’t keep things in law beyond a point where that is deemed to be proportionate, so we will move the face covering requirement out of law and into guidance.”

The First Minister said Covid-19 was “still out there”, adding: “Wearing a face covering is a bit of protection you can give, not only to yourself but to the people you might be around – including people who might be more clinically vulnerable.”

She continued: “Yes, I’ve got confidence in the good sense and the responsibility of the people across Scotland.”

A weekly Covid-19 survey produced by the Office for National Statistics found that around one in every 17 people in Scotland had Covid-19 in the week up to April 9 had the virus, a drop on recent weeks.