'Evidence not strong enough' for public to wear face masks in Wales
There is not "strong enough evidence" to advise people to wear face coverings in public in Wales.
Vaughan Gething said the use of non-medical masks or coverings should only be "a matter of personal choice", contrasting with advice given in the rest of the United Kingdom.
The First Minister also clarified his position during the Welsh Government's daily press conference on Monday after it was confirmed it will be encouraged in England this week.
Mark Drakeford had said there was only a "marginal public health case" for non-medical face coverings, and that while people should wear them if it gave them "confidence", he would not be making their use mandatory.
Mr Gething told the Welsh Government's daily press briefing on Tuesday the chief medical officer for Wales Frank Atherton "does not recommend that everyone should wear face masks or coverings".
"He believes this should be a matter of personal choice," Mr Gething said.
The UK Government has stated people in England should wear face coverings when they are in "an enclosed space where social distancing isn't possible and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet".
Dominic Raab told ITV News that face coverings "don't really have much of an impact" in protecting the wearer, but they can "provide an incremental mitigation" of the risk to other people - but Mark Drakeford said it will not be mandatory in Wales.
He did say that if it gives people "confidence", then they should wear them in public.
"The advice from Chief Medial Officer I have is, where people use face coverings in non domestic settings, it doesn’t protect you - but it may protect other people from the risk of you infecting them.
"It is not mandatory because the evidence is not strong enough, but if it offers people confidence, if it’s a non medical face covering, so we’re not competing with those needing them from medical settings... If people think it gives them confidence to use facilities available in Wales they should do that."
At the end of April, the CMO in Wales, Dr Frank Atherton also said the government's scientific advisory group, had looked at the issue and found there to be a "potential small effect", but Mr Atherton said it is "really quite marginal" in terms of enclosed spaces.
Dr Atherton warned the widespread use of face masks could jeopardise supplies for NHS and social care workers.
He told a press briefing on 30 April, "Sage also did point out quite rightly that there are dis-benefits potentially from using face masks in that way, first of all the risk that face masks could leach from public sector and hospitals in particular into the community. So there are a number downsides to potential use of face masks."
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