The legal requirement to wear face masks in certain public settings in Scotland will continue until at least the start of April after a surge in Covid cases.
Nicola Sturgeon said rising cases driven by the BA.2 sub-variant meant the rule would have to stay in place beyond this date. It will be reviewed again in two weeks' time.
The law on masks, which applies to public transport and enclosed public spaces, was due to be converted to guidance on March 21.
But the legal requirement for certain premises to retain customer contact details will be dropped as planned.
The announcement came at the same time as UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was confirming plans to drop all Covid-19 travel restrictions including the Passenger Locator Form from this Friday.
Scotland's 7-day case rate has rocketed from around 850 per 100,000 to 1,300 per 100,000 since the start of March.
The First Minister said: "Given the current spike in case numbers, we consider it prudent to retain this requirement in regulation for a further short period.
"I know this will be disappointing for businesses and service providers such as day care services.
"However, ensuring continued widespread use of face coverings will provide some additional protection - particularly for the most vulnerable - at a time when the risk of infection is very high, and it may help us get over this spike more quickly."
Ms Sturgeon said the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is now the dominant strain of coronavirus in Scotland.
Updating MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, she said the sub-variant now accounted for more than 80% of all cases.
She said: "The increase in cases over the past three weeks has been driven by the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, which is estimated to be significantly more transmissible - with a growth rate since mid-February perhaps 80% greater than original Omicron.
"BA.2 is now our dominant strain, accounting for more than 80% of all reported cases.
"BA.2 has become dominant in Scotland earlier than in England and Wales, hence the more rapid increase in cases here than south of the border in recent weeks - although cases and hospital admissions are now rising sharply again in England too."
