The legal requirement to wear face coverings should remain in place in Wales beyond March in line with Scotland, intensive care doctor Ami Jones has said. Dr Jones said she remained concerned about the recent rise in Covid infection rates and the number of her colleagues who have had to take time off work.
Earlier this month First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that all legal Covid measures in Wales could be removed by March 28 providing the situation remains "stable". It means on that date it would no longer be compulsory to wear face coverings in shops, on public transport, or in healthcare settings - and self-isolation will not be required by law.
However, case rates have been creeping up and now stand at 279.8 cases for every 100,000 people. In mid-February the figure was as low as 150 cases per 100,000. All other parts of the UK have experienced similar increases this month. And Dr Jones said that hospitalisations were starting to creep up, from a very low level, as the virus spreads rapidly in the community.
