Question reference: S6W-06134
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 27 January 2022
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 27 January 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 legislation in place.
Answer
Regulations amending the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 were made today.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No.3) Regulations 2022 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the principal regulations”) and will take effect on 28 January 2022 at 05.00 am.
The Amendment Regulations amend exemptions from face covering requirements in the principal regulations which exempt a person from face covering requirements in certain indoor places where a specific distance is maintained between the exempted person and other people or where they are separated from other people by a partition. This changes the distance to be maintained between persons who are not wearing face coverings from at least two metres to at least one metre – this includes
- employees and volunteers in certain places
- a person leading an act of worship in a place of worship
- a person leading a funeral, marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration
- parties to be married or entering into a civil partnership
- a person performing, presenting, addressing a public gathering, making a speech or acting as a panel member and;
- a person performing or rehearsing for a performance where certain circumstances apply.
The Regulations also amend the requirement that a face covering must be worn in any indoor communal area in a workplace, where there is no partition, or where people are not otherwise separated by a specified minimum distance, to change the specified minimum distance between persons who are not required to wear a face covering from at least two metres to at least one metre.
The Regulations also exempt a person travelling on a ferry, who is not outdoors, from wearing a face covering where a distance of at least one metre is maintained from other persons, as opposed to at least two metres.
The Regulations have been published at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2022/29 .