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People in Wales are being asked to wear three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing is not possible - including on public transport.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething made the recommendation at a press conference on Tuesday.
It comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) updated its advice.
All other governments in the UK have already made recommendations on face-coverings.
They will soon be compulsory on English public transport. But up until now the Welsh Government had been reluctant to ask the public to wear them.
Mr Gething said the WHO was clear in saying the widespread use of non-medical face coverings by healthy people was "not yet supported by their advice".
"However they did recommend that governments encourage the public to wear three-layer non-medical face coverings in specific settings and circumstances where other more effective measures are not possible," he said.
As a result, he recommended "people in Wales wear three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing is not possible".
The most obvious example is on public transport, he said.
For people without symptoms 'only'
Mr Gething warned that the recommendation was "only" for people who are not showing symptoms of coronavirus.
"People who are symptomatic must continue to self-isolate for seven days and get a test," he told the press conference.
He said a homemade, or bought, three-layer face covering might reduce transmission from one person to another "if made, worn, handled and removed or disposed of properly".
Some coverings could be washable and reusable, he said.
But maintaining social distancing remains more effective, according to the health minister.
"Wearing a face covering cannot be an excuse for ignoring social distancing measures," he said.