Face masks will still have to be worn in some public places in Wales – in break from England rules
Face masks will remain mandatory in some public places in Wales until COVID-19 is no longer a public health threat, the Welsh government has said.
The move in Wales is in contrast to that of England, where legal requirements to wear masks look set to end once the country reaches Step 4 of roadmap out of lockdown on 19 July.
A final decision on England’s path out of restrictions is expected to be taken on Monday.
In Wales, masks must still be worn in taxis, on trains and buses, as well as health and social care settings when coronavirus restrictions are eased, the Welsh government said.
It added that “active further consideration” is being given to whether they will still be required by law in other settings, like retail.
Mark Drakeford says the virus ‘has quite certainly not gone away’
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We will need everyone’s help to keep coronavirus under control as we continue to respond to the pandemic – this virus has quite certainly not gone away.
“We know many people are still worried and anxious about going out. We will maintain the requirement to wear face coverings in certain places – on public transport and health and social care settings, and others where necessary – to help keep us all safe.”
The government said scientific evidence supports the use of face coverings as a way of reducing the transmission of the virus.
It said they are “particularly useful” in crowded, indoor areas with poor ventilation.
Mr Drakeford is due to make a statement on Wednesday setting out further details on the new alert level zero for Wales.
The country is currently at alert level one and face coverings are mandatory in all indoor public places.
On Friday, it was announced that face coverings will not be routinely recommended in classrooms across Wales from September.
Nicola Sturgeon is expected to outline Scotland’s next steps out of lockdown on Tuesday
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to announce her country’s next steps out of lockdown on Tuesday, but
has already described Mr Johnson’s approach as “something of an exception”, appearing to indicate hers will be more cautious.
In Northern Ireland, the removal of rules around all face coverings, with regulations potentially replaced by guidance, are due to be considered next month.
The Stormont Executive has already announced that the legal requirement to wear face coverings in places of worship is also set to be removed on 26 July, while the use of face masks in classrooms is to be removed from guidance.
A growing rift has emerged in Washington, D.C., between the cryptocurrency industry and labor unions as lawmakers debate whether to ease rules allowing cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement accounts.
The dispute centers on proposed market structure legislation that would allow retirement accounts to gain exposure to crypto, a move labor groups say could expose workers to speculative risk. In a letter sent on Wednesday to the US Senate Banking Committee, the American Federation of Teachers argued that cryptocurrencies are too volatile for pension and retirement savings, warning that workers could face significant losses.
The letter drew immediate pushback from crypto investors and industry figures. “The American Federation of Teachers has somehow developed the most logically incoherent, least educated take one could possibly author on the matter of crypto market structure regulation,” a crypto investor said on X.
In response to the letter, Castle Island Ventures partner Sean Judge said the bill would improve oversight and reduce systemic risk, while enabling pension funds to access an asset class that has delivered strong long-term returns.
Consensys attorney Bill Hughes said the AFT’s opposition to the crypto market structure bill was politically motivated, accusing the group of acting as an extension of Democratic lawmakers.
Related: Atkins says SEC has ‘enough authority’ to drive crypto rules forward in 2026
Opposition to crypto in retirement and pension funds mounts
Proponents of allowing crypto in retirement portfolios, on the other hand, argue that it democratizes finance, while trade unions have voiced strong opposition to relaxing current regulations, claiming that crypto is too risky for traditional retirement plans.
“Unregulated, risky currencies and investments are not where we should put pensions and retirement savings. The wild, wild west is not what we need, whether it’s crypto, AI, or social media,” AFT president Randi Weingarten said on Thursday.
The AFT represents 1.8 million teachers and educational professionals in the US and is one of the largest teachers’ unions in the country.
According to Better Markets, a nonprofit and nonpartisan advocacy organization, cryptocurrencies are too volatile for traditional retirement portfolios, and their high volatility can create time-horizon mismatches for pension investors seeking a predictable, low-volatility retirement plan.
In October, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) also wrote to Congress opposing provisions within the crypto market structure regulatory bill.
The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of trade unions in the US, wrote that cryptocurrencies are volatile and pose a systemic risk to pension funds and the broader financial system.
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