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I AM confused about when I need to wear a mask as protection from coronavirus. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information and I’m concerned I might be breaking the rules. Some shops are enforcing it while other places are more relaxed. If I am required to wear one in a shop, is it not the owner’s responsibility to provide me with one? Can you clear this up?

Wearing masks or face coverings is important in helping to stop the spread of coronavirus.

We’re in Phase 3 of the easing of lockdown and the advice is to wear a mask (or face covering) in public spaces that are enclosed, where there is greater difficulty in maintaining social distancing.

Therefore, it is now mandatory to wear a face covering in shops, on public transport and in areas such as train stations, bus stops and airports.

While some retailers are providing masks, they do so as a courtesy and are not required to by law.

Face coverings can be anything that covers the nose and mouth, which is made of cloth or other textiles.

You should be able to breathe through the face covering you use.

Religious face coverings count in this instance, provided they cover the mouth and nose.

A visor is another alternative – however, this must cover your mouth and nose completely.

While in shops (classified as any indoor establishment offering goods or services for sale or hire) a face covering must be worn when the shop is open to customers.

In banks and building societies (and any other money services businesses), it is not mandatory to wear a face covering.

When visiting bars, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality premises, you are not required to wear a face covering.

All staff or operators and passengers on railways, subway, trams and buses, as well as taxi and private hire vehicles, must wear face coverings.

Individual transport providers will be able to advise on the requirements for their particular mode of transport.

There are exceptions to these requirements and this includes children under five, police and paramedics, staff (such as drivers and checkout assistants) who are physically separated from customers by screens or guards and shop workers and assistants as long as they are able to maintain a physical distance of two metres from customers and members of the public.

Additionally, those with disabilities or health conditions, for whom a face covering could cause difficulty, pain, or severe distress, do not need to wear face coverings in these settings.

Other situations where face coverings do not need to be worn are when you need to eat or drink, you are taking medication, you are communicating with someone who is reliant on lip reading or if a relevant person, such as a police officer, requests that you remove the face covering for any reason.

If you are unsure, it may be helpful to plan in advance by checking the individual rules of the destination you are going to and the mode of transport you are using to get there to ensure you have a mask with you just in case. I hope this helps. You can access free, impartial advice on any topic from advice.scot by contacting 0808 800 9060 or by visiting www.advice.scot.

Advice is available to everyone in Scotland, at no cost, regardless of personal circumstance.