As the Welsh Government attempts to curb the country’s high Covid rates, self-isolating laws are changing in Wales.
Welsh restrictions are being revised in the latest three-weekly review.
In light of the First Minister’s warning that if rates don’t fall in the next three weeks restrictions will be reinstated at the next review on November 19.
What is changing in Wales?
• If someone in your household tests positive or has Covid symptoms you’ll now need to isolate until you’ve had a negative test.
• You’ll need a Covid Pass in theatres and cinemas from November 15.
• Headteachers will be helped to introduce measures if case rates are high locally.
• Shops have been encouraged to get people to stick to the rules to wear masks.
• Businesses encouraged to resume working from home.
Self-isolation: what’s changing?
It is currently not necessary to self-isolate if you are double vaccinated and living with someone who tests positive, unless you have symptoms or a positive test yourself.
When someone in a household has symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19, the Welsh Government’s new guidance recommends that adults who are fully vaccinated, and children and young people aged five to 17, should isolate themselves until they have received a negative PCR test.
If you are not vaccinated, you will need to self-isolate for ten days following contact with someone who has tested positive, including close household contacts.
It is important that you self-isolate until you have taken a PCR test if someone in your household tests positive for the virus. Once the test is negative, you do not need to isolate.
If it is positive, you too will have to isolate. Also, you will have to isolate while you await the results of the test.
Besides that, what else is changing?
From November 15, you’ll need a Covid Pass to go to the cinema or theatre, meaning they are now needed in more places in Wales.
Staff and secondary school students will also be encouraged to take twice-weekly lateral flow tests to help keep coronavirus out of schools.
Retailers have been asked to ensure that people are wearing their masks indoors.
Welsh Government has also encouraged people to work from home “wherever possible”.
What are the latest figures for Wales?
The latest figures for Wales, released on Thursday, showed another 12 people in Wales have died with coronavirus.
New figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) published on Thursday, October 28, which cover the last 24-hour period, show the total number of Covid-related deaths in Wales is now 6,134.
There were also 2,664 new positive cases recorded in today’s update, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 432,395.
The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to October 23) now stands at 671.3 – a fall from the 699.7 reported on Wednesday and a second consecutive day where rates have fallen.
First Minister Mark Drakeford has said the rates must drop in the next three weeks, or restrictions will be considered again.
The four UK chief medical officers have asked the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation for urgent advice about reducing the interval between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster.
Welsh Government said that almost 400,000 people have had their autumn booster since the programme was launched and more than 40% of 12 to 15-year-olds have had their vaccine.
