Pictures show Nicola Sturgeon donning a tartan face mask as she visits New Look shop at Scottish retail park

Nicola Sturgeon donned a tartan face mask today as she visited an Edinburgh retail park to see some of the changes being implemented by shops ahead of reopening next week.
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The First Minister wore the stylish mask as she met staff at the New Look store in Fort Kinnaird on Friday.

Pictures showed Ms Sturgeon walking round and observing the new socially distanced layout of the store and standing by signs stating that fitting rooms will be closed.

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Ms Sturgeon announced last week that shops in Scotland will be able to reopen from Monday, June 29th provided they have outdoor exits and entrances.

Nicola Sturgeon donned a tartan face mask for the visit to a New Look store at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. Pictures: Jeff Mitchell/GettyNicola Sturgeon donned a tartan face mask for the visit to a New Look store at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. Pictures: Jeff Mitchell/Getty
Nicola Sturgeon donned a tartan face mask for the visit to a New Look store at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. Pictures: Jeff Mitchell/Getty

However, shopes in indoor shopping centres will not be able to reopen until the onset of phase three of the Scottish Government’s road map out of lockdown - except for essential shops like pharmacists and supermarkets.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on whether face coverings should be mandatory inside shops, but people are recommended to wear them in the meantime.

A document published by the government explains that, to progress from one phase to another, there will need to have been evidence of transmission being controlled.

To move from one phase to the next, the R number - essentially the rate of virus spread - needs to be consistently below one and the number of infectious cases showing a sustained decline.

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