London, Europe Brief News – The Wales government decided to lift remaining Covid laws including face coverings and self-isolation starting from 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.
Meanwhile rules on masks will be eased from 28 February. So they are only required in shops, including salons, transport and social care, rather than venues such as museums.
Also, pupils will not have to wear masks in class from the same date – schools can then decide their rules.
Half of Europe to catch Omicron
The World Health Organization (WHO) has earlier said that half of Europe will catch Omicron.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said a “west-to-east tidal wave” of Omicron was sweeping across the region. The Delta variant is on top of a surge, he added.
The projection was based on the seven million new cases reported across Europe in the first week of 2022.
The number of infections has more than doubled in a two-week period.
“Today the Omicron variant represents a new west-to-east tidal wave, sweeping across the region on top of the Delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021,” Dr Kluge told a news conference.
He quoted the Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation as forecasting that “more than 50 percent of the population in the region will test positive for Omicron in the next six to eight weeks”.
The WHO has earlier warned of ‘tsunami’ of COVID cases in the near future. The declaration was due to Omicron spread.
