Face mask rules in Scottish hospitality to end on 18 April

Face masks will no longer be mandatory in indoor hospitality settings in Scotland after 18 April.

The Scottish government has confirmed the legal requirement to wear face coverings would become guidance from next week.

But it strongly recommended that masks continue to be worn in indoor crowded spaces where possible.

The move has been welcomed by the hospitality industry, which has been subject to restrictions for longer than operators in England, where face coverings stopped being legally enforced in January.

Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), said the move was "long overdue" and hoped that the industry could "start to get back to business".

Wilkinson added: "Scotland has been out of step with England for months and it has led to confusion for customers, particularly visitors from south of the border, and frustration for business owners and their staff – the lack of use of face coverings in has been clearly evident in many settings.

"The decision to move the legislation to ‘guidance' is warmly welcomed, although not before time and long overdue and while we had hoped it would have been in force ahead of the Easter holidays, a time when licensed hospitality traditionally experiences an uplift in business, it is better late than never."

He added that hospitality was still facing an "uphill struggle" and urged the government to drop proposals for a deposit return scheme, calorie labelling on menus, and the introduction of a tourist tax.

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