Requirement to wear face masks in Wales could go by end of March

The requirement to wear face masks in all settings could be relaxed by the end of March, the Welsh Government has said.

The announcement came as part of the latest review of coronavirus regulations in Wales.

Firs Minister Mark Drakeford, who has tested positive for Covid, said Wales will gradually begin to relax some of its remaining coronavirus rules as cases continue to fall.

From Friday, February 18, the legal requirement to show a Covid Pass to enter certain venues and events will be lifted.

From Monday, February 28, face coverings will no longer need to be worn in most indoor public places. You will still need to wear a mask in shops, on public transport and in hospitals and care settings.

If cases continue to fall, the requirement to wear face masks could completely end by the end of March.

The latest results from the ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey suggest levels of infection have recently fallen, but community transmission rates remain relatively high in all parts of Wales.

Isolation rules remain in place.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We can start to gradually and carefully remove some of the remaining protections we have in place at alert level zero. But we are not removing all the measures at once because the pandemic is not over yet.

“To keep Wales safe we need to remain cautious and do everything we can to reassure those who feel most at risk. We will keep some important protections in place, including face coverings in health and social care settings, on public transport and in all shops. We will also keep self-isolation rules in place.

“Next month, we will publish a plan setting out how we will move beyond alert level zero and the emergency footing on which we have been operating for nearly two years.

“This will help us all to make some plans for the future.”

The international Covid Pass will continue to be integral to arrangements for safer international travel. Travellers will need to check the relevant countries’ rules for entry, including any different requirements for children.

Schools will return to using their local decision framework from 28 February and from 11 February the guidance will be updated to make it clear adults can remove their face coverings when they are interacting with babies and small children at baby and toddler groups.

The next three-weekly review of the coronavirus regulations will be carried out by March 3, when the remaining measures at Alert Level Zero will be reviewed.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “NHS leaders are concerned that public expectation will be for services to return to normal as we ‘learn to live with Covid’. While there is cause to be optimistic, things remain serious in health and care services and, if anything, demand on the NHS continues to grow over time.

“Numbers of patients in hospital with Covid remain over 1,000 and even if many of these patients aren’t primarily being treated for Covid, we cannot overstate the impact Covid has on the delivery of health and care services.”

“While Covid remains with us, even if numbers remain stable, its very existence means the way the NHS delivers its services remains restricted.”