Fully vaccinated contacts of positive cases able to test daily rather than isolate

Anyone who is fully vaccinated and is a close contact of someone with coronavirus, will no longer need to self isolate, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

However, they will need to take a lateral flow test for seven days and have negative results as a precautionary measure.

At the start of December, the Welsh Government introduced Omicron-specific regulations, requiring all contacts of those who test positive to isolate.

But in a statement the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan has said "Requiring an increasing number of fully vaccinated individuals to self-isolate will impact on our critical public services, at a time when they are under immense pressure to keep Wales safe.

"I have therefore amended the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restriction) (No.5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 in order to balance the public health threat posed by Omicron with the impact of self-isolation on individual well-being, education, public services and the economy."

Those who remain unvaccinated and are in close contact with someone who has Covid-19, will still have to isolate for ten days.

They are advised to take a PCR test on day 2 and day 8, following their exposure to a positive case.

Meanwhile, Ms Morgan has said that Wales' ten day isolation period for those who test positive for coronavirus will remain in place, unlike in England which has reduced it to seven days.

People there must have negative lateral flow tests on day six and seven to leave isolation however.

Although, the Health Minister has said a seven day isolation period could be introduced in Wales from the 5 January, if there is a rapid rise in cases, risking the country's ability to deliver critical services.

The Welsh Government has decided to move Wales back to Alert Level Two from Boxing Day as cases of the Omicron variant surge across the UK.

It has now taken over the Delta variant as the most dominant coronavirus strain in the UK.

The Health Minister is also urging anyone who has not had their first or second dose of a Covid vaccine to contact their health board and arrange an appointment. You may also be able to attend a walk-in centre.

Those needing to get lateral flow tests can do so:

• by collecting from a pharmacy or a local collection point;

• under agreed arrangements with workplaces and education settings;

• by ordering online for home delivery - you can order 1 home testing kit (7 tests) at a time. Delivery takes 1 to 2 days.

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