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Will Nicola Sturgeon scrap Covid mask rules as virus cases soar?

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Nicola Sturgeon is set to hold a Covid briefing on Tuesday afternoon, with Covid cases soaring across the country.

The first minister is expected to confirm whether most remaining restrictions including compulsory mask wearing will end on March 21.

The SNP leader previously said most Covid curbs which are still in place would most likely be scrapped towards the end of the month.

But there have been some renewed calls for caution due to the infection rate rising significantly in recent weeks.

Will the Scottish Government scrap face masks?

The first minister is expected to push ahead with her original plans to end the legal requirement to wear face coverings from March 21.

Mask wearing has been compulsory for Scots since the summer of 2020 and strict rules remained in place even as other measures were gradually scrapped last year.

The move would signal a significant return to normality if it goes ahead, despite thousands becoming infected each day.

While Scots would no longer be legally compelled to wear masks when using indoor spaces, individual businesses could continue to insist customers wear coverings.

School Covid safety
Face mask rules could be scrapped from next week.

The Scottish Tories have urged Nicola Sturgeon not to use rising Covid cases as “an excuse to kick the can further down the road”.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gullhane said: “The last remaining Covid restrictions must end, as planned, next Monday.

“Scotland is already behind other parts of the UK, and we would expect to see infection rates increase in the short term as restrictions ease.

“But the game-changer has been the success of the vaccine programme.”

Calls for caution

Scotland’s chief medical officer Sir Gregor Smith refused to confirm whether he agrees with possible plans to scrap mask rules.

While he said the virus was now less of a threat due to vaccines, the top medic said a “cautious” approach would be wise.

He told the BBC: “We’re dealing with different characteristics of the virus now. It doesn’t mean we should be complacent at all.

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith.
Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith.

“Even with these new variants we’re still seeing extraordinarily high rates of protection against disease and death.

“We can see that with rising cases we need to be a little bit cautious when interacting with others.”

On removing compulsory face coverings, he said: “That’s a decision that ministers will make.

“I think a cautious approach at this point in time is probably the right approach and we’re already seeing the public adopt those additional protections.”

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf also said that the rise in case numbers is “concerning”.

Covid infection numbers

Data on Friday showed that over 13,000 members of the public had tested positive for the virus in the previous 24 hours.

Scottish Government statistics on Monday revealed 1,805 people who caught the virus were in hospital overnight.

Covid vaccines are helping keep deaths down.

Meanwhile, a total of 27 patients were in intensive care as they fight to recover from Covid.

The chief medical officer also said that rising case numbers were being “scrutinised intensely”.