UPDATE: Mark Drakeford sets out how covid rules will be eased in Wales

LATEST UPDATE: First Minister Mark Drakeford has today, 14th January, outlined the plan for lifting of restrictions in Wales by the end of January.

Wales will return to alert “level zero” within the next two weeks, if the ‘public health situation’ continues to improve and cases continue to fall.

The timeline for the easement of restrictions are set out below:

Saturday 15th January:

The number of people who can be attend at outdoor events will rise from 50 to 500.

Friday 21st January

All outdoor activities will move to alert level zero.

• Crowds will be able to return to outdoor sporting events
• Outdoor hospitality will be able to operate without additional measures
• The Covid Pass will be required for entry to larger outdoor events

Friday 28th January: 

Wales will move to alert “level zero” for all indoor places. Nightclubs will be able to reopen.

• Nightclubs will be able to re-open
• Businesses, employers and other organisations must undertake coronavirus risk assessments and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of the virus
• Covid passes will be required for entry to cinemas, clubs, concerts and theatres
• Working from home will no longer be a legal requirement
• The rule of 6, the 2m physical distancing rule in hospitality and table service will no longer required

Self-isolation restrictions for all those having tested positive for Covid, and the face covering rules for most public indoor places, will remain in force after 28th January.

Earlier, 11.25am

First Minister Mark Drakeford will hold a press conference today at 12.15pm to set out plans that could see the country move away from alert “level two” to “level zero”.

The Labour politician will detail a two-week plan to ease restrictions, should the ‘public health situation’ continue to improve.

The Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have both called for a plan or strategy for easing of restrictions, while the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) have considered moving the Six Nations home fixtures out of Wales to England with Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium being in the frame.

Since 26th December, restriction measures have been in place in Wales including:

• nightclubs closed over the New Year period
• the reintroduction of the 2m distancing rule
• face covering required in hospitality settings other than when when seated
• the return of the rule of six people for social venues such as catering, cinema, restaurants and theatres
• table service and the collecting of customer contact details
• the maximum of 30 people able to attend indoor events
• a limit of 50 people at outdoor events, including sport and community activities
• people told to work from home when possible

In a pre-conference statement, a spokesperson said: “The Welsh Government is able to start removing the protections put in place in response to the omicron wave, thanks to the support of people across Wales and the successful booster campaign – more than 1.75m people have had the extra booster dose. The move to alert level zero will be phased, with restrictions on outdoor activities being removed first.”

The Welsh Government has been under considerable pressure this week to ease the restrictions but this seemed unlikely after comments made by Mark Drakeford at the Senedd on Tuesday, 11th January.

The First Minister suggested that any changes would not take place until next week, saying:

“Next week will be the end of a three-week review period. If we are very fortunate, and it’s a very big if, and we find that we have passed that peak and we are on a reliable reduction in impact of coronavirus on us then we will look to see what we can do to relax some of the protections that we’ve had to put in place but we will not do it until we are confident that the scientific and medical advice to us is that it is safe to move in that direction.

“Once we are in a position of knowing that Wales has passed the peak of the impact that it is having on our public services, on workers in the private sector, in the ability of our health service to deal with the growing numbers of people in a hospital bed because of coronavirus, then we will want as quickly but as safely as possible to begin to relax some of the protections that have been necessary while the Omicron wave was still coming at us.

“But we’re not at that point today. We will review the data as we do every day and every week.”

On Thursday, 3,197 new COVID-19 cases where recorded in Wales, down from 9,213 during the same period last week. However, deaths were up from six to 11. Over1.75m people have had a booster jab.

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