Question reference: S5W-34848
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 28 January 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 February 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether people should wear face coverings at all times when they leave their home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Answer
- Face coverings bring a benefit in reducing transmission of the virus but they are not a substitute for good hand hygiene and physical distancing.
- We do not mean surgical or other medical masks, but a covering of the mouth, nose and chin that is made of cloth or other textiles and is 2, but preferably 3, layers thick.
- Transmission is more likely to occur when people are in close proximity to each other, in crowded places and in poorly ventilated places, and while the primary sources of transmission are contact and droplet, aerosol transmission is more significant than we first thought.
- As a result, and in line with the scientific advice, we have made the use of face coverings mandatory in a large range of indoor public places, including indoor communal workplaces, and on public transport where we know the risks are highest.
- We have also advised the use of face coverings outdoors where two metre distancing is difficult to maintain, such as at entrances and exits and school gates.
- However, the Scottish Government will continue to review what measures can be used, in line with the emerging scientific and clinical advice, to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.