All Covid regulations will be scrapped in Wales by the end this month

All legal Covid restrictions will be removed in Wales by March 28th, provided that things continue to remain at a stable level.

Currently in Wales masks are still required in a number of settings; this is set to be scrapped completely. It will no longer be a legal requirement to wear masks in any environment, even within healthcare settings.

Additionally, self-isolation will no longer be a legal requirement. Due to this change, the structure of test and trace will also be updated. The public will no longer be expected to test when they have symptoms.

Mark Drakeford has confirmed that from March 28th we can expect to see these changes come into place. Until these changes come into place, Wales will remain at Alert Level Zero. Beyond these restrictions being lifted, there will no longer be a reference to alert levels.

A plan has been released by the Welsh Government today outlining how Wales will transition from a pandemic to an endemic. Within the plan there is an explanation into the two core scenarios — Covid Stable and Covid Urgent — that these decisions are based on.

“Covid Stable: We still expect to encounter additional waves of infection. We expect new variants to emerge, and some may become dominant. But these waves will not put unsustainable pressure on the Health and Social Care system. Vaccines and other pharmaceutical interventions are expected to remain effective in preventing serious illness. We consider this the most likely scenario.”

“Covid Urgent: This is a possibility we need to plan for. A new variant could emerge that has a high level of vaccine escape or other advantages that puts large numbers of people at risk of severe illness, for example similar to the levels we saw during the alpha wave in December 2020. This may require all of us to work together to take actions to protect others.”

According to the plan, we are currently at Covid Stable. Hence, the decision to lift Covid restrictions.

The Welsh Government has also announced that they will be changing the structure of test and trace. The public will no longer be expected to test when they have symptoms due to the change in isolation regulations. The use of testing will also be prioritised for those who are most vulnerable, and require diagnosis.

However, despite all of these changes, the plan still says that between April and June, people who test positive for coronavirus are advised to isolate .

By the end of June, Lateral Flow Tests will also no longer be available to those who are symptomatic.

Related articles recommended by this writer:

• A new street art mural featuring Ukraine’s flag has appeared in Cathays

• What Cardiff Uni building are you based on your Pancake Day choices?

• Here’s our round up of how Cardiff Uni students spent Valentine’s Day!