What are the new rules for Covid testing and care homes in Wales?

The Welsh government has outlined its timetable for changes to the Test Trace Protect service in Wales as the remaining Covid regulations are lifted.

The changes come as Wales takes further steps to relax some of the legal protections which have been in place for most of the pandemic.

Face coverings are no longer a legal requirement in shops and on public transport and the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive has ended.

A new Social Care Transition Plan is also being published today, which will set out new arrangements for care homes between April and June.

The changes to Test Trace Protect are focused on protecting the most vulnerable, limiting their risk of infection and ensuring testing capacity is maintained to monitor outbreaks and detect any new variants.

The main changes to Test, Trace, Protect include:

• From March 28, people will be advised to self-isolate if they have Covid with self-isolation support payments of £500 still available until June.

• Wednesday March 30 is the last day people will be able to book a PCR test if they have symptoms.

• From Thursday March 31, all PCR testing sites in Wales will close.

• Free lateral flow tests to support regular asymptomatic testing in workplaces will end on Thursday March 31, except for health and social care workers.

• Free lateral flow tests for the public for regular asymptomatic testing will end on Thursday March 31.

• From Friday April 1, you should use a lateral flow test if you have Covid symptoms. These can be ordered or by calling 119. If you test positive you should report your results and isolate for a minimum of five full days and take lateral flow tests on day five and day six (if both negative) before leaving isolation.

• From Friday April 1, only people eligible for will be able to order PCR tests to be done at home. 

• Routine asymptomatic testing in childcare and education settings, except special education provision, will stop at the end of the term (8 April).

Changes in care homes

Changes to testing and social distancing in care homes are also being announced today with frontline health and social care staff will continuing to have access to free lateral flow tests to undertake twice weekly testing from organisations they work for.

Care home workers will no longer need to undertake weekly PCR tests and unpaid carers who are caring for the clinically vulnerable will also be able to access lateral flow testing through their local authorities.

Care home providers should not be placing restrictions on visitor numbers or on the length and frequency of visits. If appointment systems are used they should facilitate rather than restrict visiting.

Visitors and visiting professionals should provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test result within the 24 hour period before the visit. Care homes will be provided with free tests so they can be given to visitors.

Face coverings continue to be a legal requirement in health and care settings for the next three weeks. It is advised that visitors should continue to wear masks/face coverings when in public areas of care homes and when moving through the care home, but may otherwise be removed.

The number of ‘essential visitors’ permitted during an outbreak will be increased to two and they may visit either separately or at the same time; the use of PPE will continue to be recommended for all staff working in social care settings but social distancing can be relaxed for social care staff, care home residents and people receiving care at home when there is no evidence of Covid-19 circulating. If an incident or an outbreak occurs, social distancing could be re-introduced as a mitigating measure.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “These changes are part of moving gradually away from the emergency response to the pandemic and beginning to live safely with coronavirus. We will continue to ensure we are ready and able to respond to any new variants or outbreaks as we step into this new future.

“It is important people remember that coronavirus has not gone away. Everything we do – all the small things we have learned to do to keep ourselves safe – become even more important now, especially self-isolating if we have symptoms or a positive test result.

“If we continue to work together, we can keep each other safe and keep Wales safe.”   

Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan said: “The Social Care Transition Plan shows new arrangements for care homes as we cautiously adjust our pandemic response. We have spoken to groups across the sector and are delighted that we can not only ease restrictions around visiting, but further encourage them to take place.

“We appreciate how hard the last two years have been for families affected by these restrictions, with many not able to see their loved ones as much as they would like to. We would like to thank them for supporting our efforts to keep the most vulnerable safe and hope we can all look forward to a more positive future.”