This week the wearing of face coverings on public transport became mandatory in Wales.

I very much welcome the move. I would also like Welsh Government to make them mandatory in other places where social distancing is not always possible such as shops and hospitals.

I know there has been a great deal of debate in recent weeks about the use and effectiveness of face coverings. There is however growing evidence they can make a difference in decreasing transmission of the virus and in keeping people safe.

I am clearly not alone.In Scotland the wearing of face coverings in shops became compulsory on July 10, in England they are compulsory in shops and hospitals and in Northern Ireland they are set to become mandatory in shops at the beginning of August.

The World Health Organisation recommends the use of three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing and hygiene measures are difficult to maintain. A recent survey in Wales found that 81 per cent of people asked said they supported the wearing of face coverings in indoor shared spaces.

I recognise face coverings are not a silver bullet but I think they are a key part of a wider strategy that includes measures such as social distancing, hand-washing and community testing.

I disagree with the Welsh Government argument that masks will encourage people to engage in riskier behaviour because they feel safer than they really are.

That is why I have written to the First Minister asking him to publish the evidence he cites to support the government’s argument that the wearing of face coverings gives people a false sense of security and makes them less careful about social distancing and hand-washing. I think it would benefit the debate in Wales if we knew where that evidence came from and what it says in detail.

Public messaging is crucial. We need an effective communications campaign that explains why face coverings are being recommended, how they should be worn and how they contribute to keeping us all safe.

If the government can get that right, I think we can move towards a common sense approach that sees mandatory face coverings in shops and hospitals as part of a range of measures designed to prevent transmission of the virus.

The message seems clear to me; it is time to recognise the value of face coverings as part of a broader strategy in tackling the virus and time to communicate why and how they matter in helping to keep people safe at work.