Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced that from February 18, the legal requirement to show a COVID Pass to enter certain venues and events will be removed.
The COVID Pass was originally brought in to show proof of vaccination against coronavirus, or a negative test upon entry.
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.”
He added: “From Friday February 18, the domestic COVID Pass will no longer be required for entry into indoor or outdoor events and venues, including nightclubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls. But events and venues will be able to continue to use it if they choose to.”
Wearing face masks in indoor public places will also be ditched from February 28.
Micheal Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), welcomed the news and said: “The withdrawal of the COVID Pass from the end of next week, and further relaxation of restrictions from February 28, will see businesses finally able to plan for the future with some level of certainty.”
Kill also noted that the NTIA had submitted a Freedom of Information request, with the details to be released shortly, asking the Welsh Government to release the evidence that led to nightclubs being closed but not other businesses this winter.
Image: Antoine J. on Unsplash
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