London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Covid in Scotland: Masks could stay until Christmas says Swinney

Covid in Scotland: Masks could stay until Christmas says Swinney

Rules on wearing face coverings in Scotland could remain in place until Christmas, the deputy first minister has said.

John Swinney told BBC Scotland it was "perfectly conceivable" that masks could still be mandatory in December.

On Tuesday, the first minister confirmed mask-wearing would remain for "some time" as she announced the move to level zero of Covid restrictions.

Nicola Sturgeon modified planned easing due to the spread of the Delta variant.

Scotland will move to level zero on 19 July which means more people will be allowed to meet indoors and attend weddings and funerals.

However, limits on outdoor meetings are to be maintained and the return of workers to offices will also be delayed.

In an interview on BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime, Mr Swinney was asked if he could envisaged face coverings being mandatory until Christmas.

John Swinney says that face coverings are especially important to protect people who are clinically vulnerable


He said: "I think that's perfectly conceivable. I think that we should recognise that we have got to take a careful and cautious approach to the suppression of Covid.

"We know the virus is going to be with us for a long time so the more that we can do, a gradual elementary level to provide obstacles and barriers to the circulation of this virus, the more we should do that."

Mr Swinney also revealed Scottish government modelling predicts that Scotland could record between 2,500 and 10,500 new Covid cases on the day restrictions moves to level zero.

He added: "I think it is likely to be much closer to that lower end of the spectrum than the higher end."

He said the impact of the virus was "moving in the right direction - which means that we can afford some of the relaxation".

The wearing face masks in shops and on public transport is to continue for the foreseeable future


It is still hoped that Scotland will move beyond level zero from 9 August - the point at which the government aimed to scrap most legal restrictions. A decision on this will be taken next month.

Among other announcements in Ms Sturgeon's statement to Holyrood were plans to remove the blanket requirement for close contacts of those who test positive to self-isolate, as long as they have had two doses of vaccine.

In addition, fully-vaccinated people returning from amber list countries will not need to quarantine as long as they take a test after arrival.

'Like Groundhog Day'


Business groups have broadly welcomed the changes, but some were critical of ministers "moving the goalposts" at the last minute by altering plans, such as hospitality venues now being required to close at midnight.

Stephen Montgomery, spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group, said: "The midnight curfew is just a made-up time with no evidence to justify it.

"It's like Groundhog Day with our warnings about driving people into house parties and other uncontrolled spaces that lack all the precautions you find in responsible pubs, restaurants and hotels."

Some of the level zero changes expected by the hospitality industry have been modified by the Scottish government

The Federation of Small Businesses Scotland said no longer requiring people to book a slot in a bar or restaurant "should hopefully generate some extra passing trade", but said there was "less good news" for the events sector with outdoor restrictions to continue.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce said the move to level zero was "another encouraging milestone", but said the modifications to plans would cause uncertainty - and said postponing the return to offices would be "a bitter blow for employees and employers alike".

The continued wearing of facemasks won the backing of shop worker union Usdaw.

Tracy Gilbert, the union's regional secretary for Scotland, said: "We ask the public to show their support and respect for shop workers by following the law.

"Wearing a face covering in a shop is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×