A senior epidemiologist says rule making should not be left to head teachers and council officials.
Prof Watkins said disruption to education over the past two years had been "pretty profound", adding: "The risks are really quite low but harms from the interventions we do are actually potentially great."Dr Helen Wimalarathna, an epidemiologist and lecturer in health sciences at the University of Buckingham, said she did see how removing them could be considered in some areas, such as schools, rather than a wholesale change as seen in England.
"I can see the logic for removing them in high schools but in public places where there are strangers and no automatic follow-up, they should be worn," she said."In environments where you're close to strangers it makes sense to do your bit out of respect for each other and out of respect for science."
The Welsh government said the priority was for face-to-face learning to continue in the safest possible way and advice to wear masks was "one of a range of measures" to enable this. A spokesman added: "The national framework enables schools to tailor interventions to reflect local risks and circumstances.
"Schools are supported by public health officials and local authorities to ensure measures are appropriate and based on evidence."
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