SHOPPERS are being urged to wear a face covering, by the MP for Crossgates, Hill of Beath and Moss-side, when heading to the shops.

The call comes as many shops are back open after months of having to pull down their shutters.

Shoppers are also being encouraged to shop local to give a boost to the economy after the retail sector was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

People are being encouraged to make sure they always respect the rules put in place by shops to keep everyone safe and to be patient with staff and other shoppers by respecting physical distancing, washing our hands regularly and wearing a face covering, which becomes a mandatory requirement by Saturday (July 10).

Commenting, Mr. Chapman, who would encourage people to do it every visit from now, said: “Scotland seems to be managing to suppress the virus and our target is to eliminate it completely as quickly as we can. The sooner we can do that, the faster life can start to return to some sort of normal.

“News from last weekend that there were no COVID related deaths in Scotland does not mean we are out of the woods yet, and it’s only down to our citizens being smart and keeping to the rules around hand washing and social distancing that we have managed to get to this stage".

He added: “It would be a crying shame if all the sacrifices we have made as families and communities were to be lost and more pressure was again heaped onto our health and care services through us becoming complacent and triggering a second wave of infection.

“It is encouraging to see parts of our economy opening up and our life returning to some sort of normality, but that has only been possible through the sensible actions of the public. I would urge everyone to act as if they have the virus and wear a face covering in shops to protect everyone around them."