Wales must lift the last remaining COVID restriction, the prime minister said.
The use of a face mask in healthcare and healthcare settings, the only remaining legal requirement, will end on Monday, May 30th.
Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales could expect a “brighter future”, but urged people to continue taking steps to protect their health, such as isolating themselves if they have symptoms of COVID and maintaining good hygiene. of hands.
He said the pandemic had “a profound impact on all of our lives”, but that after a major drop in cases “we can go beyond the emergency response as long as we live safely with this virus”.
“I want to thank everyone for all you have done to protect yourself and your loved ones. You have followed the rules and kept Wales safe,” he added.
Drakeford said ministers will continue to monitor new and emerging variants.
Wales was the last nation in the UK to still have legal COVID rules in place.
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Infections have continued to decline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but have risen slightly in Scotland, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Its latest weekly survey estimates that 1.1 million people in private homes in the UK had the virus during the week to 21 May. The previous week was 1.3 million.
In Wales, the estimated number of people infected was 1 in 55 (compared with 1 in 40 the previous week); in Scotland 1 in 40 (more than 45); 1 in 80 in Northern Ireland (compared to 1 in 60); and in England 1 in 60 (compared to 1 in 55).
Patients with COVID in Welsh hospitals have also fallen to less than 650, the lowest since December.