Police have spoken to Nicolas Sturgeon to “remind her how important it is to wear a face covering when there is a legal requirement to do so,” Scottish police said.
Scotland’s first minister apologized for “a few seconds” without covering his face and said officials were “absolutely right” to contact her.
The news comes after footage shows Ms. Sturgeon apparently wearing no mask as she greets customers on a visit to a barber shop in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on Saturday.
Until Monday, Scotland had a legal requirement to wear face masks in most indoor public places.
However, Scottish police have confirmed that no further action is needed against Mrs Sturgeon.
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0:56 Sturgeon reports a violation of the mask rule
In a statement, Ms. Sturgeon said: “On Saturday, while running an outdoor campaign in East Kilbride, I was invited to a local barber shop.
“A few seconds later, while I was in the store, I realized that I had forgotten to put on my face cover again. Then I put it on right away.
“However, I accept that not wearing a face mask for even a few seconds was a mistake on my part and I regret it.
“After receiving complaints about this, the Scottish police contacted me. They would do this to anyone else in these circumstances, and they were absolutely right to treat me no differently than any other citizen.
“I explained that the mistake was inadvertent and the police confirmed that the matter was closed.
Image: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been in the campaign in recent weeks
In the video, Ms. Sturgeon appears to be uncovered as she mingles with clients and pats a man’s head in a barber chair, mimicking the sound of an electric razor.
In a separate video posted on her official Twitter account, Ms. Sturgeon wears a tartan face mask for her visit to Iconic Gents Hair, which shows her shaving a man’s beard.
In a statement, Scottish police confirmed they would not take further action against the first minister.
It read: “Local officials have spoken to the first minister to remind her how important it is to wear face shields when there is a legal requirement to do so.
“Given the circumstances surrounding this incident, the Scottish police are pleased that no further action is needed.
“This is in line with our proportionate approach throughout the pandemic.”
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