First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed that falling coronavirus cases mean that Wales has completed the move to Alert Level Zero.
Nghtclubs are to re-open and social distancing and rule-of-six requirement have ended in Wales, in a relaxation of Alert Level Two measures which have been in place since Boxing Day. Latest Covid rules across the UK after changes in all nations
It comes after crowds were able to return to outdoor sporting events from last Friday and limits were removed from taking part in outdoor activities.
There is no coronavirus press conference but the First Minister was on BBC Radio Wales on Friday morning where he discussed the advice around working from home and what will be monitored at the next review on Friday, February 10.
Here is what he said:
Why the rules are being lifted
Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio Wales "We are past the peak of the Omicron wave, we are back, in terms of number, to where we were before Omicron began and we are, therefore, able to return to Alert Level Zero where the remaining restrictions are at a very low level. It is still important to go on protecting us all from Omicron, and the rest of coronavirus hasn't gone away.
"But it is a good day, and we are looking forward now to the better time of year where we know the risks of coronavirus can be mitigated in other ways."
Rules on face masks
While many of the restrictions have been lifted, rules around wearing face coverings in indoor public places and on public transport remain. Read the rules here.
Mark Drakeford said: "We will review the few remaining protections on February 10. Nobody wants anything left in place any longer than is proportionate to the risk from coronavirus. All the public opinion tests that we have carried out, through the whole of the pandemic, continues to show that for every person in Wales who thinks we have been too slow in lifting restrictions, there are two people who are anxious that we are going too quickly.
"The temperature of the general public in Wales continues to be cautious, and keen to make their contribution to keeping us all safe."
Should the face mask and Covid pass mandates be lifted
Mark Drakeford said: "We are moving the mandate in a whole range of areas today on exactly that basis. It will no longer be obligatory to work from home, for example. I think a lot of people have learnt that over the past 20 months that you can work from home successfully, and will continue to do that at least some days in the week.
"When we are at the point when we think we can lift the few remaining protections, and rely on people doing the right thing, then, of course, that is what we will want to do.
"There are still a large number of people in Wales who are on that original shielding list, and who are anxious that if we do abandon all the protections that are in place that they themselves will be really vulnerable when they leave their homes and go into things like crowded indoor spaces.
"We are balancing the risks, we are thinking all the different components of the Welsh population and we will now review the remaining protections on a three-weekly basis. As soon as we are confident it is safe to do so, we will be moving ahead on those things too."
Working from home
Mr Drakeford was asked about the Welsh Government position on the subject, he said: "The advice from Sage has been consistent that the single biggest contribution to bearing down on coronavirus is to have fewer people in the workplace. Inevitably, when people mix, the virus thrives and when people are in the workplace they are there, not just for a short period of time, they are there for hours through the working day, There are good coronavirus reasons for still saying to people, where you can work from home successfully, you should think about doing that.
"I believe that one of the positive things that we will take from this difficult experiences, is that we have all learnt new ways of doing things. In the building that I am in today, there are 200 people today. Before coronavirus started, there would have been 2,000 people trying to make their way in here [Welsh Government offices in Cathays Park] between eight and nine in the morning, and trying to leave here between four and five in the afternoon.
"We can operate equally successfully without that scrum. Without the impact that it has on the environment, the roads on public transport, and so on. The Welsh Government is investing in a network of community hubs, where people who don't want to work from their own homes will have places they can go closer to their own home, where there will be facilities, where they can work successfully
"I think this will be a long term change in the way we organise our working lives. I hope never to travel all the way to London for a one hour meeting in the future, where it took six hours out of the day. I now know that I can hold that meeting equally successfully by remote means.
"There are wider lessons to be drawn. For now, the advice about working from home is because coronavirus has not gone away. More than 1,000 people fell ill with it yesterday, more than 1,000 beds in our hospital have people with coronavirus in them, ten people died yesterday in Wales from coronavirus.
"For all those reasons, if you can work from home successfully you are still making a contribution to keeping people safe."
Rules around care homes
The rules in England change from Monday, and Mark Drakeford said there would be more information on rules in Wales on Friday.
He said: "We have never had a limit on care home visits in Wales for a long time on the number of people who can visit. There were additional restrictions that were put in place over the past few weeks and we are not going to be able to give new advice today.
"We will be able to go back to the sort of regime that care homes were operating before Omicron. They will no need to wear masks if you visit someone in their room, the need for testing will be reduced."
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