Coronavirus LIVE updates as Wales prepares to scrap face masks and Covid passes

The Welsh government has confirmed it will scrap face masks and Covid passes by the end of the month for certain venues.

Furthermore, domestic Covid passes will no longer be needed to gain entry into different venues such as nightclubs and cinemas - although they can still ask for them at their own discretion.

The easing of rules is set to take place from February 18 when Covid passes will be scrapped with face masks following suit from Monday, February 28.

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While they will no longer be compulsory in most public places including gyms, cinemas, and churches, they will still be required in all health and care setting as well as shops and public transport.

Despite Boris Johnson's ambition to end self-isolation rules in England, Wales will still require people who test positive with Covid-19 to isolate for five days and have a negative lateral flow test on days five and six.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "With increasing numbers of people vaccinated and boosted and thanks to the hard work and efforts of everyone across Wales, we are confident that coronavirus rates are falling and we can look forward to brighter times ahead.

"We can start to gradually and carefully remove some of the remaining protections we have in place at alert level zero.

"But we are not removing all the measures at once because the pandemic is not over yet.

"To keep Wales safe we need to remain cautious and do everything we can to reassure those who feel most at risk."

The UK economy soared by record levels in 2021 despite the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded by 7.5 per cent, according to official figures.

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