FACE MASKS in shops and other indoor public spaces are to be made compulsory in Wales from Monday.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the change came as a threshold of 20 people in 100,000 now had Covid-19 in Wales.

The new laws will not apply to children aged 11 and under.

Masks are already compulsory on public transport and the Welsh government has not yet published details of where the new rule will apply.

The news comes as the government in Wales reduces the number permitted for an indoor gathering to six (from an extended household).

Speaking this morning, Mr Drakeford said: “We still have a maximum number of 30 people who can meet outdoors at any one time, but we have no evidence at all in Wales that the virus is being spread by people meeting together in the open air.

"I think the evidence on this has been very clear for a long time. The virus doesn’t thrive in the outdoors and in the sunlight.

“It does thrive indoors, and in the dark and the cold and we are making that distinction. We still want people to be able to meet outdoors. Indoors, it will be six people only.”

The first minister will confirm the changes later today.

In the last 14 days there have been 23 cases in the Vale, according to Public Health Wales - but across the country there have been 1,001.