Here are the morning headlines for Thursday, January 27, as new official figures show that the number of people with Covid-19 in Wales has fallen rapidly.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that has cases have fallen dramatically since January 6.
Infection rates are now dropping as fast as they rose over Christmas and while Wales' infection rate started levelling off after January 1, in England, rates continued to climb with nearly 6% of the population still testing positive for Covid-19 for the two-week period ending January 15.
The infection rate from the Office for National Statistics is based on random sampling of the population and is not affected by changes to testing rules - meaning it is now the most reliable guide to the spread of Covid in the UK.
The latest figures for the week to January 22 show almost one in 30 people had Covid in Wales - the same as in Scotland and lower than in England or Northern Ireland (both one-in-20). The ONS estimated that 99,500 people in Wales had Covid compared to 169,100 in the previous week.
The headlines, which are based on swabs collected from randomly selected households, indicate the percentage of people testing positive for Covid increased rapidly in the run-up to Christmas, but slowed up during the first week of January and is now dropping dramatically. Cases for your area here.
Read more : All the latest Wales and UK coronavirus news
Shoppers and commuters still asked to wear masks despite law change in England
Legal measures requiring masks and Covid passes in England have been dropped, but shoppers and commuters in some settings will still be asked to wear face coverings. Read about the changes happening in Wales tomorrow here.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the success of the vaccine programme, coupled with a better understanding of treatment for the virus, is "allowing us to cautiously return to plan A, restoring more freedoms to this country".
From Thursday, face coverings are not required by law in any setting, while a legal requirement for NHS Covid passes for entry to venues such as nightclubs has been scrapped.
Plan B measures were initially introduced on 8 December 2021 to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. Hospital admissions have now stabilised and the number of people in intensive care units with COVID-19 continues to fall.
As the focus moves away from legal measures, the Prime Minister's official spokesman, when asked about masks, said it will now be "a matter of personal judgement".
Public health guidance urging people to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces if coming into contact strangers will remain in place, the Government said.
It said organisations will be able to choose if they will require Covid passes from those visiting their venues.
The latest rolling back of restrictions follows the dropping of the work from home guidance last week, and advice for face coverings in classrooms for both staff and pupils being scrapped.
From Thursday, the Department for Education has also removed national guidance on the use of face coverings in communal areas of educational settings.
While the scrapping of measures have been welcomed by some, others have urged people to "be considerate to those around them" when it comes to choosing to wear a face covering, and to "be respectful" of policies in certain settings.
Both Sainsbury's and John Lewis said their customers will be asked to wear masks, though the latter acknowledged it will ultimately come down to "personal choice".
The British Retail Consortium said the changes "will enable shopping to return to a more normal experience for customers, employees and businesses".
But their chief executive Helen Dickinson added: "Retailers ask customers to be considerate to those around them when choosing whether to wear a face covering and to respect the decision of other customers."
It is "essential" that retailers clearly communicate their masks policy to customers, said Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman.
He added: "While no longer a legal requirement, many stores will still have a policy of asking customers to wear face coverings whilst shopping, and that should be respected.
"Covid-related abuse, especially around the wearing of face coverings, has been a significant problem for retailers and colleagues throughout the pandemic, so we ask all customers to be respectful of the policies in place in their local shops."
Shop workers' union Usdaw welcomed the retention of Covid-safety measures in some stores, as its general secretary Paddy Lillis branded as "deeply disappointing" the end to mandatory face coverings in shops "despite the concerns of shop workers".
Meanwhile, commuters on London's public transport network will still be required to wear face coverings, with the city's mayor Sadiq Khan calling on people to "do the right thing".
Covid pass change in England welcomed
The withdrawal of the requirement for Covid passes has been welcomed by those within the hospitality industry.
Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, described the requirement as having been a "debilitating and divisive mitigation" and said businesses across the night-time economy will celebrate the change.
Mr Kill said the impact of the measure has left "many businesses now concerned that they will struggle to survive beyond February" and called for more Government support.
Shaun Hinds, chief executive at Manchester Central, which describes itself as one of the UK's leading events venues, described the end of plan B as "a very positive move".
He said "a number of significant enquiries for events in 2022" and new bookings for 2023 indicate a "real appetite and eagerness in the live events sector as it continues in its recovery".
The Department of Health said the changes come after a review of data last week including infections, vaccine efficacy, Covid pressures on the NHS, workforce absences, public behaviours, and views from the scientific community.
The Covid pass will remain a requirement in Wales when the country reverts to Alert Level Zero on Friday. Read about why they will remain here.
Johnson waits to face MPs after Gray report delayed
Boris Johnson could still face MPs over a highly anticipated report into parties in No 10 before the week is out, a Cabinet minister has suggested, as No 10 braced for the results of the investigation which could determine the Prime Minister's future.
A report by senior official Sue Gray was expected to be handed to Downing Street on Wednesday but reports suggested the final document was still being pored over overnight.
Tory MPs have held off until the publication of the report to pass judgement on their leader over multiple alleged parties across No 10 and Whitehall during coronavirus restrictions.
It is not clear what the report has discovered but an indication of how damaging it could be for the Government came when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced a police inquiry was being carried out, based in part on evidence obtained by the Gray investigation.
There was speculation that after the report was not delivered on Wednesday, MPs and the public may have to wait until after the weekend for its publication, as Mr Johnson had promised to address the Commons shortly after it was released.
There were suggestions that due to Thursday being Holocaust Memorial Day and many MPs being back in their constituencies from Thursday afternoon, No 10 may hold off on publishing the report once it was received.
However, Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said the conclusions would be important enough to bring to the House straight away.
New jobs mission to get 500,000 into work
A new target to move half a million people into jobs by the end of June launches today, under ambitious government plans to turbo-charge our national recovery from Covid-19.
The ‘Way to Work’ campaign will focus on getting job-ready people off Universal Credit and into work, rapidly filling vacancies which are at a record high.
Targeted predominantly at those in the intensive work search group on Universal Credit, Way to Work will support people back into work faster than ever before and filling vacancies more quickly. Latest figures from the ONS show that the demand for workers is there, with a record 1.2 million vacancies to fill, 59% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
To support people into work faster those who are capable of work will be expected to search more widely for available jobs from the fourth week of their claim, rather than from three months as is currently the case.
UK Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:"Helping people get any job now, means they can get a better job and progress into a career.
"Way to Work is a step change in our offer to claimants and employers, making sure our jobcentre network and excellent work coaches can deliver opportunities, jobs and prosperity to all areas of the country.
“As we emerge from Covid, we are going to tackle supply challenges and support the continued economic recovery by getting people into work. Our new approach will help claimants get quickly back into the world of work while helping ensure employers get the people they and the economy needs.”
Changes to periods after vaccination 'quickly reverse'
Changes to periods after a Coivd-19 jab are "small" and "quickly reverse", an expert has said.
More than 36,000 women reported changes to their periods to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after having a vaccine in the UK.
But Dr Victoria Male, lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, said that the latest evidence on the changes to a woman's cycle are "limited but reassuring".
In an editorial published in The BMJ, Dr Male pointed out that cycles can vary naturally.
She highlighted a study in the US, which found that the first dose of vaccine was not linked to changes to the timing of a woman's next period.
But after a second vaccine there was an average delay of 0.45 days.
The women most affected were those who received both doses in the same menstrual cycle, who experienced an average delay of 2.32 days.
However it is unlikely that many people in the UK will have had two doses in the same cycle as British vaccination policy encourages longer gaps between vaccines.
The study also found that cycle lengths returned to normal after a couple of months.
Meanwhile a separate study from Norway asked women about changes to their cycles both before and after vaccine doses.
Some 38% of women reported changes before they had even been vaccinated.
But the study identified heavier than normal bleeding as the change most associated with vaccination.
Dr Male wrote: "The findings from both these studies are reassuring: changes to the menstrual cycle do occur following vaccination, but they are small compared with natural variation and quickly reverse."
She added: "The MHRA says that current evidence does not support a link between changes to menstrual periods and Covid vaccination in the UK, and it continues to advise that anyone noticing a change to their periods that persists over several of cycles, or who has any new vaginal bleeding after the menopause, be treated according to the usual clinical pathways."
Record weekly Covid cases but deaths stable, says WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) said there were 21 million new coronavirus cases reported globally last week, the highest weekly number of Covid-19 cases recorded since the pandemic began.
But the number of deaths was largely unchanged, at more than 50,000, it added.
In its weekly assessment of the pandemic, the UN health agency said the number of new coronavirus infections rose by 5% and that the rate of increase appeared to be slowing. Half of regions reported an increase in Covid-19.
Earlier this month, the previous highest number of cases - 9.5 million - was recorded amid a 71% spike from the week before, as the hugely contagious Omicron variant swept the world.
WHO said the biggest increase in cases was seen in the Middle East, with a 39% rise, followed by a 36% jump in Southeast Asia. Deaths increased in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Americas, but fell in other regions.
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