Wearing a face covering is now compulsory in shops across Scotland. People with certain medical conditions or disabilities, and children under five, will be exempt.

Face coverings are already mandatory on public transport including buses, trains, trams, planes and taxis.

The Scottish government has said it hopes using face coverings will provide an additional layer of protection to lower the risk of coronavirus being transmitted.

But it insists face coverings are not a substitute for other measures to stop the virus from spreading, such as physical distancing and hand washing.

Police Scotland said it was asking people to “take personal responsibility to do the right thing”.

It warned that it would enforce the law on face coverings but only as a last resort. In the first instance, anyone wishing to raise a concern should do so with shop staff.

For the first time since March, people in Scotland will now be allowed to go into another person’s house. Adults should continue to practice physical distancing with those they do not live with.

But children aged under 12 will no longer be expected to observe these restrictions. The changes were confirmed on Thursday as the country entered phase three of easing the lockdown.

In this phase, eight people from a maximum of three different households can meet indoors. Adults are being advised not to meet people from any more than four different households in any single day. Overnight stays are allowed, as long as adults maintain physical distancing between different households.