Scots will no longer have to wear a face covering in places of worship or while attending a marriage ceremony, a civil partnership registration, a funeral service or commemorative event.
The new measures come into place from Monday.
They are part of a “phased” relaxation of the remaining Covid rules, which still include a legal requirement to wear face masks on public transport.
The wider legal requirement for wearing face masks – which applies to shops, public transport and some other indoor settings – will be converted to guidance on April 18.
Ms Sturgeon stressed the Government will “continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings in certain indoor places, especially where significant numbers of people are present”.
Before the weekend, coronavirus hospital cases in Scotland were still at more than 2,000.
On Thursday, there were 2,383 people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, a record high.
That same day, 41 coronavirus-linked deaths and 6,935 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded.
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon on her way to First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, Edinburgh. Picture date: Thursday March 24, 2022.
Andrew Milligan
Brian Lawless
