By Tony O’Reilly-
Mask-wearing rules and compulsory NHS Covid passes are to be lifted in Wales later this month, the Welsh government announced Friday.
The legal requirement to have domestic Covid passes in order to enter indoor or outdoor events including nightclubs, cinemas, or theatres has been scrapped, though venues will still be able to use them if they want to.
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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, rather than venues such as museums or cinemas.
Under the new relaxed law, pupils will no longer be mandated to wear masks in class from the same date – schools can then decide their rules.
It comes as Wales is set to conduct its first three-week review of its zero alert measures.
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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 lifted.
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.
Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative Senedd leader,(pictured) said: “Thanks to the excellent vaccination programme and everyone’s hard work, the trend of infections, hospitalizations 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.”
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.
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford said that increasing vaccination and booster numbers means Wales “can look forward to brighter times ahead”.
However, new figures show that one in three young adults in some of the biggest cities in England have still not received any doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Some 34.7 percent of 18 to 39-year-olds in Coventry are likely to be unvaccinated, along with 32.0 percent in Birmingham and 31.9 percent in Liverpool. In Nottingham, the figure sits at 30.1 percent while Newcastle and Manchester fare a little better (27.6 and 26.6 percent respectively.
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