High school pupils in Scotland to wear face coverings from 31 August

Scottish secondary school pupils will have to wear face coverings in corridors, communal areas and school buses from next Monday.

Education Secretary John Swinney said the new guidance would apply to all pupils aged over 12.

He said the guidance would be updated based on new advice from the World Health Organization (WHO).

There will no requirement to wear face coverings in classrooms where social distancing measures are in place.

Mr Swinney said individual exemptions could be granted for health reasons, but the guidance would be "obligatory" for all secondary, special and grant-aided schools.

He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "From August 31st young people over the age of 12 in secondary schools should habitually be wearing face coverings when they are moving around schools and corridors and in communal areas where it is difficult to deliver the physical distancing."

He said the Scottish government