Wales' economy minister Vaughan Gething has suggested that Covid isolation rules might become guidance instead of law in Wales from the end of March.
Mr Gething was giving interviews this morning in place of First Minister Mark Drakeford who is isolating after testing positive for coronavirus.
In new changes to the rules, Covid passes are to be scrapped and the need to wear face coverings in certain venues removed later this month as coronavirus cases continue to fall. Full timetable of changes here.
Asked about self isolation rules in England, Mr Gething criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson for acting without scientific evidence. He said Wales would act more slowly but held out the prospect that self-isolation rules might move from being legally mandatory to just being guidance at the end of March.
He told BBC News: "At the end of March the remaining measures may go. That means that self isolating could move to be guidance rather than mandated. But at this point, we think it's still important to have [it] in law."
At lunchtime, Vaughan Gething, will appear at the press conference in Cardiff in the place of Mr Drakeford. You can follow live updates from the 12.15pm briefing here.
Here is what he said earlier this morning in interviews with WalesOnline, the BBC and Sky News, on on different topics from criticising Boris Johnson, to confirming when mask and self-isolation restrictions could be lifted.
On Boris Johnson's 'surprise announcement' on rules in England
Boris Johnson announced plans to end all isolation periods in England for people who test positive for Covid later this month. Read more here.
Mr Gething said they had been "surpised" by the announcement, and claimed there was "no scientific" reasoning behind the decision.
"We have seen different rules between England and Wales. I was fairly surprised at the manner of announcement made by the Prime Minister and indeed the fact that there doesn't appear to be an underpinning of public health advice," he said.
"There was no meeting between chief medical officers in advance of the Prime Minister's statement. I've not seen advice from Sage on this, or indeed scientific evidence underpinning what's happened to any other source.
"Here in Wales, the choices we are making today have gone through that process. Our scientific expert advisers, Public Health Wales and the Chief Medical Officer will be publishing his advice as well, and they support the approach that we're taking.
"I appreciate some people always say why is Wales different, actually, in this case, England is being different without the benefit of understanding the evidence and advice that underpins the change being made."
He told WalesOnline that Boris Johnson had not indicated the move before making the announcement and said: "We are moving at a different pace that is gradual and cautious and based on the advice and recommendations from our scientific advisers.. We have collected that evidence, discussed it and made our choices based on what we have been told.
"Before other decisions have been made during the pandemic, there's been a call between health ministers across the UK, there has been a conversation between chief medical officers across the UK. There has been advice from Sage.
"None of those things happened before the Prime Minister made his announcement in a preamble the Prime Minister's questions.
"We can make changes to self isolate, but now isn't the right time for people who are infectious not to be under a duty to isolate at least five days in case rates are still fairly high in Wales. 400,000 There's still real harm."
He told Radio 4: "We have taken direct advice from our Chief Medical Officer and our scientific advisers. I couldn't tell you that the changes in England have the same underpinning, there's been no conversation between our Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Medical Officers for the rest of the UK."
He told BBC Breakfast: "If scientific advice exists, it hasn't been shared with us. Sage says they haven't given advice, there certainly wasn't a meeting between health officers before this change was made. All the things that have been very normal during the course of the last two years didn't take place."
On the difference between rules in Wales and England
When asked on Radio 4 if the different rules between England and Wales would create difficulties, Mr Gething said: "Well, we've been through this many times over the last two years. And I think that sometimes the difficulties of understanding the rules are perhaps overblown.
"If you're in Wales, you need to follow the rules, it is that simple, and the legal requirements to continue isolating will be very clear."
He said that if someone from England, who worked in Wales, came to work after testing positive for coronavirus they could be "prosecuted for criminally prosecuted for as you came across from England, with COVID into Wales in breach of the Welsh rules".
He added: "There is an important point to this. If you test positive then you are still infectious. I recently had Covid, and I had to test negative on days, five and six before being released from the spare room.
"It's a pain, but I know that if I go out and about when I'm infectious, I will meet people who will suffer real harm. And that's the point in all this, doing the right thing."
He told BBC Radio Wales: "Enforcement action can be taken as it has been taken at various points in the pandemic but as ever, our appeal to people is to do the right thing, to look for ways that you can follow the rules rather than try to find ways around the rules or simply to break them."
When the isolation rules might change in Wales
He was asked by when is the earliest date the five-day isolation rule could be changed, he indicated to WalesOnline and BBC Radio Wales that it will be considered at the next three-week review on March 3 with a view to making changes to that and mask wearing at the end of March.
Mr Gething said: "We're looking at the end of March to see if we're going to be able to lift the remaining public protection measures at that point. So we'll go through our regular three week review process.
"When the government meets again in early March we'll be able to measure and assess the continued progress of the measures we're announcing today.
"We'll look again at our vaccination programme what's happening there. We'll also look on the ONS Infection Survey to understand if we're continuing to see stability into the case rates and will then take further advice by scientific advisors and our chief medical officer.
"At that point the government may be able to set up and then at the end of March the remaining measures may go. That means that self isolating could move to be guidance rather than mandated. But at this point, we think it's still important to have a protected in law."
Why they are waiting on changing rules on mask and passes
"We are moving at a different pace that is gradual and cautious and based on the advice and recommendations from our scientific advisers.. We have collected that evidence, discussed it and made our choices based on what we have been told.
When asked why it was taking so long. Mr Gething told WalesOnline: ""We are moving at a different pace on England that is gradual and cautious and based on the advice and recommendations from our scientific advisors.. We have collected that evidence, discussed it and made our choices based on what we have been told."
He told BBC Radio Wales: "We always consider the advice we have, not just from our chief medical officer and scientific advisers, but from other stakeholder groups.
"Considering all the different aspects ,a week for the change, a further week of data, a further week of evidence, and that'll be one more week before the Covid passes go. I met business groups yesterday to talk through some of the possible changes, and they were broadly positive about the changes."
How people in Wales will be supported
Mr Gething told BBC Radio Wales that he will be setting out measures for support next week.
He said: "We're going to set out the package of measures we're going to be able to take to support people with the cost of living crisis, and bear in mind it will get worse in April. We're not getting £180m of extra money from the UK Government. Coincidentally, the UK Government is removing £180m from other areas of devolved spending. We have a headline announcement, but we don't have extra money. We will still though, outline a package of support for people in Wales because the cost of living crisis is real for households and indeed, for businesses. I just wish the UK Government would play straight with all of us that the money that really is being provided.
"We've already announced money to help households, and we will be moving out to further increase that to over 350,000 households are now eligible for £200 winter payment. I'm not going to pre-announce the package for next week because the Cabinet needs to sign it off.
"We will be straight with people about what we are doing and why."
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