Written question WQ83894
- Asked by
- Altaf HussainConservative
- To be answered by
- First Minister
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What evidence does the Welsh Government have that wearing a face mask whilst sitting in a church is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when this is not necessary in a pub?
Answer
Answered by First Minister (Mark Drakeford)
Face coverings can be effective in reducing the transmission in public and community settings. The effectiveness stems mostly from reducing the emission of the virus-carrying particles when worn by an infected person. They may also provide some protection to an uninfected wearer.
Coronavirus has not gone away. Whilst cases have fallen back from the record levels we saw last month, it remains critical everyone continues to comply with the baseline measures to ensure we can remain at alert level zero. This includes a legal requirement on adults and children aged 11 to wear face-coverings in indoor public places, with the exception of hospitality settings.
Requirements to wear a face covering in hospitality settings were removed on 7 August, given face coverings were already not required when eating or drinking. Eating and drinking is the main reason for being in hospitality premises, meaning people already spent the majority of their time in those premises not wearing a face covering. Premises still need to carry out a specific coronavirus risk assessment and should consider the potential role of face coverings as part of the mitigations that can be put in place.
Face coverings are not required to be worn in indoor wedding, civil partnership or alternative wedding ceremonies by any of the participants. This is in recognition that in the majority of cases the same group of people will also attend a reception shortly after the ceremony.
The guidance on face coverings is available at: https://gov.wales/face-coverings-guidance-public
The approach to alert level zero and role of face coverings was described in an update to the Coronavirus Control Plan on 14 July. https://gov.wales/coronavirus-control-plan-alert-level-0-zero
The regulations in Wales are kept under constant review.
For more information on the role of face coverings please see the attached advice provided by the Technical Advisory Group. https://gov.wales/technical-advisory-group-advice-5-august-restriction-review-html#section-77921