Nicola Sturgeon has given her clearest indication yet that face coverings will remain part of life in Scotland even when social distancing rules come to an end.
The First Minister was asked at a covid media briefing in Edinburgh earlier today whether requirements o masks will be lifted alongside other lockdown restrictions.
Under the Scottish Government's previously published routemap, social distancing rules are due to come to an end by August 9 - meaning pubs and restaurants can begin operating at normal capacities, live music and theatre can resume, and fans can return to sports stadiums.
But the SNP leader spelled out that face coverings are likely to be still required on public transport and in shops - and did not offer a date for when they would be discarded fully.
Asked whether masks would still be a part of Scottish life after August 9, the First Minister said: "It is still probable we will require the wearing of face coverings in certain settings - public transport, retail, and perhaps others as well.
"While I'm not going to be say anything definitive before making the decision, I do want to be clear that I think the wearing of face coverings for a period longer is likely to be one of the things we have to do.
"If you wear a face covering, however much you hate doing it, you are helping protect someone else. If you happen to have the virus, you are reducing the risk you pass it to someone else.
"I know all of us are desperate to get back to the stage where we don't have to wear face coverings."
The First Minister continued: "If you say to me that we can lift free most of the restrictions we are living under, but one of the things we have to do to get that is wear face coverings in certain circumstances, then my personal view is that would be a price worth paying so we can do the things we enjoy in life, and doing them in a way that reduces the risk to other people.
"I don't want to give any suggestion here that the ending of requirements for face coverings is coming any time really soon".
Do you think face mask rules should remain in place in Scotland even after social distancing and other lockdown rules have ended? Join the conversation in the comments section.
