Covid: Wales’ mask and isolation laws could end in March Published
1 hour ago
Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Face masks will still be required until at least the end of March Wales’ remaining Covid laws – including on face coverings and self-isolation – could be scrapped by the end of March.
The Welsh government says falling case rates mean it can begin to ease its remaining rules – with domestic Covid pass rules axed from 18 February.
Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said self-isolation rules could change from being legally enforceable to guidance.
But the law will remain for now, despite UK government proposals to ease the restriction in England this month .
Mr Gething said “self-isolation is still an important way of breaking the chain of transmission”, and said the England move not based on scientific advice.
Meanwhile rules on masks will be eased from 28 February so they are only required in shops, including salons and hairdressers, public transport and health and social care.
They will no longer be mandated in other venues such as museums or cinemas.
Also, pupils will not have to wear masks in class from the same date – schools can then decide their rules.
Secondary pupils, visitors and staff will still need to wear masks in indoor physical areas where physical distancing is not possible.
Follow today’s press conference live What are Wales’ Covid rules now? Wales’ first minister tests positive for Covid Covid passes will no longer be legally required from next Friday in cinemas, theatres, clubs and large events, although businesses can still use them if they want to.
They will still apply for another week, including for Wales v Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday.
This video can not be played
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Mr Gething said the latest moves provided a pathway to seeing Covid “properly in the rear view mirror”.Although there is no precise timetable, it is the first time the Welsh government has set out how laws brought in to tackle the pandemic could be completely lifted.
The Welsh Conservatives called for a date for the removal of all Covid laws, while Plaid Cymru said Labour ministers should spell out what criteria must be met for the restrictions to be scrapped.
246 cases of new Omicron version found On Tuesday Vaughan Gething said officials were keeping a close eye on a new transmissible version of the Omicron variant, called BA.2.
He said there had been reports that the variant was behind a surge of cases in Northern Ireland.There are 246 cases in Wales, he said.
Mr Gething told BBC News the remaining restrictions in Wales may be removed at the end of March.
“At that point we may move to self-isolation being guidance rather than mandatory but at this point we think it is still important to have that as a protective measure in law,” he said.
He said that the move will depend on the evidence of government advisers at the time.
A further Covid review is due by 3 March.
Separately, from 11 February guidance will be updated to clarify that adults can remove their face coverings when interacting with babies and small children at baby and toddler groups.
Guidance will remain recommending that people wear face coverings where they can when indoors, or in large crowds of people, Mr Gething said.
He said he would wear a mask himself at the rugby at the weekend: “I will continue to wear a face covering in communal areas and unless and until we’re outdoors or eating or drinking.”
England scrapping self-isolation ‘unusual’ In England Boris Johnson said that self-isolation rules could end by 21 February.
Mr Gething said this was a “highly unusual” move by the prime minister which had not been discussed between the Welsh government’s and the UK government’s chief medical officers.
He added: “There’d been no advice from SAGE, no joint recommendation or discussion between chief medical officers saying that this was the right thing to do, no scientific advice provided, no meeting between health ministers in advance.”
He was asked what would happen to someone who had Covid who lived in England but came to work in Wales without self-isolating, Mr Gething said that person would be “in breach of the law”.
“If you are in Wales, you need to follow the rules in Wales, it’s that simple,” he said.
Mr Drakeford said his government was “confident that coronavirus rates are falling and we can look forward to brighter times ahead”.
But he said he would not remove all measures at once “because the pandemic is not over yet”.
‘There should be a new normal’ Image source, Leandra Craine Image caption, Leandra Craine is concerned too many restrictions are being lifted at once Leandra Craine, 23, who works for Disability Wales, said she was worried too many restrictions were being eased at once.
“I especially think of friends and family members who are immuno-supressed and have been having to shield for two years,” she added.
“I don’t think we should go back to normal as was, as I don’t think it was working too well…I think there should be a new normal.”
The Welsh Beer and Pub Association has welcomed the changes.
But its chief executive Emma McClarkin told BBC Radio Wales that Covid “has been hitting businesses much deeper and will take much longer to recover in Wales.We are desperately needing to get back on track and helping build that confidence with our customers as we move forward.”
Claire Vaughan, cinema programme manager for Chapter in Cardiff, was happy to see Covid passes go: “People, especially older people, can get confused with Covid passes, they may be uncomfortable with digital and wonder if they are still valid and just not come”.
She said: “It’s great to hear there are less barriers to people wanting to have a lively night out in the cinema.”
But she was surprised at the plan to end the mask law in cinemas: “Some people will still be wearing masks and that’s just fine.”
Image caption, Dafydd Rhys, director of Aberystwyth Arts Centre, said it was good news Covid passes will no longer be required.
Customers will need to continue to wear masks in shops until at least sometime in March.
Caitlin Jones, manager of Dylan’s Den Crystal shop, in Aberystwyth, said: “As a business we don’t mind that the requirement to wear masks in shops stays as long as staff are protected and we can keep trading.”
Dafydd Rhys, director, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, praised the lifting of Covid passes.
He said: “It is great news for venues across Wales – there is no doubt about that as it did add to our costs in terms of human resource as more staff were needed to check the passes, and it slowed down the whole process for people coming to the theatre or the auditorium.”
Mr Gething led Friday’s press conference on the latest Welsh government review because first minister Mark Drakeford was self-isolating after he tested positive for Covid .
The economy minister said Welsh Labour leader was “fine all things being considered”, and was able to work “through most of yesterday”.
What’s the Covid rate in Wales? Wales’ Covid rate was 412 per 100,000 people on Thursday and is substantially down from the height of the Omicron wave.
The Office for National Statistics infection study also suggested that the percentage of people testing positive for Covid decreased in the week ending 5 February.
Numbers of patients in hospital with Covid have levelled out in the last week but remain much lower than last winter.
There was a rolling average of 522 hospital patients with confirmed Covid on Thursday, down slightly (7%) on a week ago, with the pattern showing patient numbers have flattened out.
Nearly 70% of patients with a positive test for Covid in the last week were being treated primarily for other conditions.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Covid passes have been required for large events such as football matches since last year ‘Diminishing threat’ Opposition politicians called for the Welsh government to spell out the way forward.
Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, said: “The trend of infections, hospitalisations and deaths is downwards, a positive progression that shows the diminishing threat of the pandemic.
“Given these positive developments and the success of the vaccination campaign, this must mean that our freedoms in Wales are returned in full without delay.”
Plaid Cymru’s health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth urged the Welsh government to “keep things steady in the very real hope that we won’t need to take a step back to any further restrictions in the future”.
“In the meantime, the Welsh government must set out the steps for what criteria must be met for all restrictions to be lifted in Wales.”
Laws requiring the wearing of masks in indoor spaces were introduced in Wales in September 2020.
The UK government lifted mask requirements in England last summer, before briefly reintroducing them for the Omicron wave at the end of 2021.
Covid passes were introduced last autumn following a farcical Senedd vote where the opposition failed to stop the government measure from passing after a single Tory, away at party conference , did not vote remotely.
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