Wales Covid Rules Are Being Relaxed As Cases Are Being Dropped 'Rapidly.'

Wales' restrictions on large events and businesses imposed to combat the Omicron variant will be lifted in the next two weeks as Covid cases decline.

As Wales moves to alert level 0, restrictions will be lifted.

Opposition parties had called for an exit strategy, with Senedd Tory leader Andrew RT Davies claiming that "Labour got it wrong" in its approach.

Omicron cases are being heard "rapidly," according to First Minister Mark Drakeford, and rules can be relaxed "gradually."

The Welsh government also cited the booster campaign's success in allowing it to lift restrictions, with 1.8 million people receiving an extra dose.

If the number of cases remains low, a four-stage process will be implemented:

Saturday: the number of people permitted to attend an outdoor event will increase from 50 to 500.

Friday, 21 January: Crowds are allowed to return to sporting events, paving the way for full houses at the Rugby Six Nations in Cardiff, and there are no restrictions on those attending outdoor events.

Friday, January 28: Nightclubs can reopen, and hospitality can resume normal operations, though Covid passes will still be required for large events, as well as cinemas, nightclubs, and theaters.

Wales returns to a three-week review cycle on Thursday, February 10th, with the country at alert level 0.

"My own view is that we are still in the pandemic stage," Mr Drakeford cautioned, "because we can't be completely confident that another variant somewhere in the world is brewing today, just as Omicron was brewing in South Africa and we saw it sweep through the UK and Wales."

The Conservatives and Plaid Cymru had both called for a roadmap out of the restrictions, while the Welsh Rugby Union had considered moving home Six Nations fixtures out of Wales.