Wales' First Minister has confirmed that the country is on track to move to towards alert level zero by the end of the month.
Mark Drakeford has been explaining the Welsh Government's plan and decision-making on Friday and has been fielding questions about the difference between rules in England and Wales.
He also discussed the continued use of Covid passes in Wales, wearing of masks in schools, and addressed the worst NHS Wales performance figures on record.
He'll provide a full briefing on Friday which you can follow live here.
Speaking about the latest Welsh infection figures he said: “They show we have passed the Omicron peak and we can continue to lift the alert level two protections as part of our careful and phased plan.
“We will lift the limits on the number of people who can gather for outdoor events. We remain cautiously confident the public health situation is heading in the right direction and next week we will be able to complete the move to alert level zero unless the situation changes for the worse.
“We are in this position thanks to the efforts of everyone in Wales and our fantastic vaccination programme. It is important that everyone continues to follow the rules and the guidance to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe, including taking up the offer of a booster vaccine if they haven’t already done so.”
Here is what he had to say during a number of media interviews on Friday morning.
Why Wales is not moving as fast as England
During a grilling on BBC Breakfast about the difference in rules Mr Drakeford said the UK Government had "long since abandoned" the science on Covid-19 figures when setting regulations.
He said: "We have always taken a different approach in Wales. We are a government that doesn't need to grab headlines to distract the attention from the difficulties that we would be in if we were in the same position as the government in England.
"People in Wales have demonstrated their support for a more cautious approach because it has kept Wales safe and open. I don't think there's any doubt at all the UK Government has long abandoned any sense that it is following the science.
"It is a government desperately mired in difficulties of its own making and is forever on the lookout for a headline that will distract people's attention from the awful mess that it finds itself in."
When asked if he believed the differences between restrictions in the two countries would cause problems for the people of Wales he replied: "People have had to manage those differences right through the pandemic."
Mr Drakeford continued: "My job and the job of my cabinet is to take the medical and scientific advice – we have to make the decisions that we think go on keeping Wales safe. Today, because of the action we have taken, we have the lowest rates of anywhere in the UK – rates fell twice as fast in Wales last week as in England."
When asked a similar question on BBC Radio Wales he said: "I don't think anyone watching objectively what has happened in England could imagine that their decisions have been made by a careful attention to public health advice and with some sort of long-term plan in place.
"Their announcements this week are entirely due to the astonishing mess that they find themselves in and an effort to find some other line to distract people's attention from the Prime Minister's failings. Here in Wales we are in a very different position.
"We have got a government that is capable of making decisions in line with that advice and to do the things that we have done throughout the pandemic – following the science and making sure we are keeping people in Wales safe."
He told Sky News: "I'd have to say anybody watching what has gone on in Westminster will know that those announcements are not driven by the science.
"They're not part of a carefully thought-out plan, they're just an effort by UK ministers to find a different headline from the one that has dominated the news.
"Here in Wales we are in a better position than that – our government is able to go on making sensible, cautious planning decisions rooted in the science and in keeping people in Wales safe.
"I think the contrast between our two positions has been pretty stark this week."
Why Covid passes will continue to be used in Wales
Boris Johnson announced earlier this week that mandatory Covid passports for entering nightclubs and large events would end, though organisations could choose to use the NHS Covid pass if they wished.
Covid passes will still need to be used in Wales for at least three weeks and potentially into March. Read more here.
Speaking about the decision on BBC Radio Wales Mr Drakeford said: "Despite the fact the headline in England is that they have moved away from the Covid pass in fact they continue to recommend it to be used on a voluntary basis.
"The change so that the booster can be visible on the Covid pass will continue and we will continue to use it. We will be reviewing the pass on February 10 but for now it remains a vital part of keeping people safe and keeping Wales open.
"There was a report this week showing that across Europe the use of the Covid pass has saved people's lives and has saved businesses as well. We are very confident that it has been a useful and effective part of our repertoire. As we come out of the peak we want to keep those protections in place until the science tells us it is safe to move away from those things."
Why pupils will have to wear face masks for longer
The First Minister has said that children will have to continue wearing masks in schools until at least February half-term.
Mask-wearing rules for pupils in English schools were scrapped this week but Mr Drakeford said children in Wales would have to wear them until at least the February half-term.
The First Minister said he had attended a meeting of education officials and union leaders in Wales on Thursday and there was agreement across the board that face coverings should be kept for now.
In England head teachers are reportedly defying the UK Government over face masks in the classroom as dozens insist they will remain in place. The Daily Telegraph reported that more than 100 schools have already written to parents to say that children must continue wearing masks in lessons despite the Prime Minister’s announcement that the measure is no longer necessary.
But Mr Drakeford told WalesOnline: "We don't see a change in the rules on face coverings in schools changing before the February half-term but it is something that is constantly under review.
"We met with local education representatives and unions and the topic was debated and everyone felt if was safer for pupils and staff to continue having that level of protection."
He admitted the start of the school term after Christmas had been "easier than expected" but said ministers are monitoring a rise in the number of primary school children testing positive for Covid-19.
"It is something that we are keeping a close eye on," he said. "There are preliminary signs of a slight rise but no-one will be surprised that there has been an uptake since children returned to the classroom."
What is being done about NHS backlog
Extreme levels of demand on the Welsh NHS and the impact of Covid-19 are hindering the quality of care given to those most in need, it has been claimed.
Latest monthly Welsh Government data shows that the performance of A&E departments and the Welsh Ambulance Service have deteriorated and the number of people on an NHS Wales waiting list has increased to record levels once again.
Asked about what was being done during an interview on BBC Radio Wales Mr Drakeford said: "There are a combination of measures to get through the backlog. It is very top of our list.
"It will be a combination of more investment with millions of pounds more made available to the NHS in Wales in the next year. The people we are relying on to clear the backlog are exhausted from the past two years. I was glad to see the BMA said the figures showed some light at the end of the tunnel.
"It is going to be a tough move into the spring and the rest of this year but the Welsh Government will be there alongside that workforce, investing in the things we can find the money to, and the tide will turn and we will see those numbers will begin to come down."
On in-fighting Conservative politicians
The First Minister was asked about news of in-fighting among Conservative MPs.
He told Sky News: "Conservative MPs have been fighting each other like ferrets in a sack this week and it's hard to see how the PM survives."
He added that Mr Johnson will "never escape" the damage to his reputation. "Even if he was to survive he will just limp on because he is never going to escape the damage this week has done to his reputation," he said. "From my point of view the thing that worries me the most is the fact the UK Government is frozen by the impact of what has happened to them.
"They are just not able to make the sorts of decisions you would expect a government to make because everything is seen through this lens. The attempt to try and protect the Prime Minister from attacks that his own side are making on him.
"That means it is a government that has turned in on itself and is not capable of doing the job it was elected to do."
