Face Coverings in Scotland

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged residents of Scotland to follow the new law which has made it compulsory to wear a face covering when in shops in Scotland. This comes as lockdown restrictions have started to be lifted, and people are venturing out more to shops and public places. A large number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has risen, yet deaths have not. Scotland is intent on containing the virus and limiting the spread, and like many other countries, believes the way to do this is through the widespread use of face coverings. The wearing of face coverings which was already mandatory on public transport, also became mandatory in shops on Friday 10th July. People with certain medical conditions or disabilities, and children under five, will be exempt.

Ms Sturgeon said she was asking people to stick to the law “not from a fear of enforcement, but because it is the right thing to do”. “Please everybody complies with this because it is for the good of all of us. It will help keep us safe and protect everybody,” she said. She has said that these measures are being brought into place now as people are now venturing out of their homes more since lockdown measures have been lifted and people are able to go clothes shopping and eat out.

It is a personal responsibility for each person to wear a face mask, and not wearing one has been likened to “antisocial behaviour”

The COVID-19 virus is spread via droplets which are passed through the air by people speaking, coughing or breathing heavily. When in places where social distancing is not possible, or where many people are sharing the same air (such as inside crowded places, shops, or public transport where air isn’t circulated as well as it is outside), wearing a face covering reduces the distance that these droplets can travel from a person’s mouth or nose. If you have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, and therefore do not show any symptoms so do not know that you have the virus, you could be inadvertently spreading the virus simply by speaking, without realising. Members of the public may touch a surface that the infected droplets have settled on and therefore may inadvertently pick up the virus. By wearing the mask, the droplets cannot travel as far and are contained within the mask, and therefore are less likely to infect others around you.

The government has advised that fabric face coverings or ones which are handmade are adequate. Reusable or fabric face coverings are better for both people and planet, as they mean that supplies of disposable surgical masks are not depleted and left for the healthcare workers who need them most, and also reduce the amount of single-use plastic masks that end up in landfill.

Our reusable face masks are a perfect sustainable option and will help protect you when out and about of in crowded places. To shop the collection, visit https://bagsofethics.org/.
SOURCES: BBC news