Covid in Wales: Masks not needed in classrooms and cinemas

Face masks will still be required in some places until at least the end of March

Rules on wearing face coverings have again been eased and are no longer required in classrooms and venues such as museums and cinemas.

They will still be needed in shops, salons, hairdressers, health and social care settings and on public transport.

It is the latest move as Covid rules continue to be relaxed amid falling case rates.

All regulations could be axed by the end of March, the Welsh government said.

• Wales' mask and isolation laws could end in March

• Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford tests positive

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the remaining protections are "proportionate to the public health situation and the risk of coronavirus".

"Thanks to everyone's hard work and all their sacrifices, cases of coronavirus are falling across Wales," he said.

"Now is the right time to relax the general requirement to wear a face covering in many indoor public places."

Pupils will not have to wear masks in class from Monday - schools can decide their rules.

However, secondary pupils, visitors and staff will still need to wear masks in indoor physical areas where distancing is not possible.

Mr Drakeford said the mask requirement would remain in some "widely used and essential sectors" such as retail, public transport and health and social care, at least for the next few weeks.

He explained: "This is part of our cautious and careful response to the pandemic. We will continue to consider the latest scientific and medical evidence to inform our approach.

"Later this week I will be setting our longer term plans to manage the pandemic, as we carry out the regular three-week review of the regulations."

The latest changes follow the scrapping of Covid passes for venues and sporting events on 18 February.

Despite the relaxation, religious leaders across Wales have said worshippers are welcome to keep wearing masks.

In England, all Covid rules have already ended as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Living with Covid plan.

In Scotland, most rules will end on 21 March, although First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was no plan to scrap the requirement to self-isolate for people who tested positive.

Legal requirements have been replaced by guidance in Northern Ireland.