London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Covid: Wales moving to increasing normality, says minister

Covid: Wales moving to increasing normality, says minister

More of Wales' Covid-19 rules could change over the next few weeks from being legal requirements to government advice, according to a Welsh minister.

Mick Antoniw said Wales was "moving to a stage where we are having increasing normality" but that ministers and officials would evaluate data ahead of the next review on 15 July.

All legal restrictions are expected to be lifted in England on 19 July.

And the SNP government is aiming to do the same in Scotland on 9 August.

With no date set in Wales, the Conservatives have accused the Welsh government of being "stuck in lockdown mode".

Responding to reports on Sunday that England will move into a period without legal restrictions, where the public will have to exercise "personal responsibility", Andrew RT Davies MS, the leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd, tweeted: "It's time for Welsh government to provide clarity on Wales' route to normality."

A further 535 people have tested positive for coronavirus, according to latest data published by Public Health Wales.

Counsel General Mr Antoniw told the BBC's Politics Wales programme the Welsh government's "current thinking is that we have obviously an increase in the level of infections, but we have less hospitalisation out of that".

"We want to maximise the vaccination rates still further, and then around the 15th or 16th of July, we'll have a review, and we'll consider what further easings can be taken within the data that we actually have," he said.

"Setting a date has its own problems because, if you're saying you want to achieve these certain things on this particular date... it is still always dependent on what the latest information is in respect of the infection rates.

"We are certainly moving in the direction of a much greater normality.

"But the pandemic is going to be with us for some time," he added.

Mick Antoniw MS: "There are still risks out there"

There have only been minor changes to the rules in Wales since 7 June after the first minister announced a pause in a bid to reduce daily hospital admissions and allow time to vaccinate more people.

Ministers had considered permitting more indoor mixing, allowing more people to attend indoor events and reopening ice skating rinks, before deciding to hold off.

In Wales, people are currently able to meet in private homes if they are in an extended household with a fixed set of other homes, unlike in England where six people from any household can meet.

Nightclubs remain closed, as they do across the UK, while limits on social distancing and how many people can meet outside remain.

The restrictions will be reviewed the week starting 12 July, with any further lifting due to be announced by the first minister towards the end of the week.

Asked on Politics Wales if he foresaw big changes to the rules in Wales during that review, Mr Antoniw said: "I certainly would envisage a shift in the way in which we assess risks, that we look at things differently.

"We look at how much more can be done on the ground by way of guidelines and advice because, clearly, we're moving to a stage where we are having increasing normality.

"But it's got to be something that's based on the reality of the fact there are still risks out there.

"So, over the next week or so, all that data's going to be evaluated.

"We'll take advice from the medical officers and from the scientists, and then we'll work out basically what is the best next step forward in terms of moving towards that greater normality.

"But also in a way that doesn't put people at risk," he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×