Easing of Covid restrictions in Wales will be based on ‘data rather than politics’, says Health Minister

The lifting of Covid restrictions in Wales will be driven by data and not political deadlines, Health Minister Eluned Morgan has said today.

Boris Johnson is set to host a press conference this afternoon (Monday 5th July) to set out plans for the final steps of restoring certain freedoms in England.

The Prime Minister is expected to confirm that the majority of the remaining Covid restrictions in England can be lifted from 19 July.

He will also outline the future guidance regarding face masks in England and that wearing them will become a “personal choice”.

The latest data and scientific modelling suggest that cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased, but the link to hospitalisations and deaths has been weakened due to the vaccination programme.

During today’s Welsh Government coronavirus press briefing, the health minister said: “It is clear that we are still in a very difficult situation because the case numbers are increasing exponentially still in Wales.

“Especially those people who haven’t been vaccinated, there’s a real vulnerability for those people.

“We are seeing a weakening of that link and we also have to understand that there are other harms that we need to consider and, in particular, the mental health situation, economic situation, the social situations that people find themselves in all of these things now need to put into the mix.”

The next review of Covid restrictions in Wales is due on 15 July.

The minister said: “We will of course, as always in Wales, be following the data rather than following the politics.

“That is what we’ve been doing all the way through this and we will continue to do that.

“Boris Johnson will do what he thinks is right for England and we will do what’s right for us here in Wales.

“We’ve done that throughout the pandemic, we’ve responded to local circumstances, and we will continue to do that and we will be driven by the data not by any political deadline that has been set out artificially, which, time and time again in England has been set, and then missed.

“We’re not going down that route, we are of course, aware that there is a huge amount of movement across our borders.

“We do have a very constant dialogue with representatives with of the UK Government and of course, in an ideal world, we would like to move together but if it’s not right for Wales, we won’t be doing that.”

“But as I say we will be making those decisions in our next 21 day review.”