Wales' shielding programme will finish on March 31 after almost two years in operation, the health minister has announced.
The shielding patient list was created at the start of the pandemic and included people the UK's four chief medical officers believed were at greatest risk of harm if they contracted coronavirus.
But thanks to a high vaccination takeup and a fall in the infection rate, the Welsh Government is now preparing to move beyond the emergency response to the pandemic. All legal Covid restrictions could be removed here on Monday, March 28 should the situation remain "stable".
Read more: Coronavirus infection rates, cases and deaths for all parts of Wales on Thursday, March 10
"Almost two years have passed since the list was developed and we have learned a lot about the virus since then," said Health Minister Eluned Morgan.
"Vaccination has changed the course of the pandemic and has severely weakened the link between coronavirus and serious illness and we now have access to new treatments which can also prevent serious illness, especially for people who are clinically vulnerable.
"Over the course of the pandemic, the personal circumstances of some people on the shielding patient list have changed. Some people were added to the list because they were undergoing treatment for cancer, for example; today that treatment has ended successfully. Other people were added because they were on a particular course of medicine or because they had significant heart disease and were pregnant.
"The NHS has information about people who are classed as clinically vulnerable and are eligible for the new Covid-19 treatments and for priority access to vaccine booster programmes. Many of these will have been on the shielding patient list, but not all.
"I have therefore accepted the advice of the Chief Medical Officer for Wales that the time is right to end the shielding programme."
Shielding advice was paused on April 1, 2021 and since then everyone on the list has been advised to follow the same advice as the general population.
Wales' Chief Medical Officer Dr Frank Atherton has indicated for some time that he had no intention of reintroducing shielding advice again due to the associated harms and a better understanding of how to keep safe.
"We are working with supermarkets, water companies and local authorities to bring the sharing of shielding patient list data to an end, and to ensure it is securely deleted. This is due to end by March 31, 2022," Ms Morgan added.
Richard Pugh, head of partnerships for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, described the end of the shielding patient list as "a milestone" within the pandemic.
"For many people with illnesses affecting their immune system, including people with cancer, the lockdown that began in March 2020 has never truly stopped," he said.
"We must remember that people who have been shielding will all respond differently, and this announcement is likely to be met with equal parts relief and anxiety.
"It will be a responsibility of the Welsh Government, employers and healthcare workers to make sure the most vulnerable in our society continue to be protected, and that people are given the freedom to adapt in the way that works best for both their mental and physical wellbeing."
However, he warned that we must not lose sight of the most vulnerable people in communities as Wales enters a stage where people are expected to live with Covid-19 like any other infectious disease.
He added: "The Welsh Government will need to identify and communicate clearly with the groups affected on what these changes mean, especially when it comes to those who will be able to access free targeted testing - a group that should include people with cancer who may be clinically vulnerable. The needs of this group must also be considered if new variants emerge.
"And we can all continue to take some common-sense measures to help keep those people safe as restrictions ease as well."
In the spring adults aged 75 years and over, residents in a care home for older adults, and individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed will be offered a fourth Covid jab.
Ms Morgan said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered "data from the UK and internationally" which suggests that older people are more likely to experience "waning of immunity" due to a decreased capacity of the immune system to respond effectively to infections or vaccines. They are also much more likely to experience severe disease if infected.
Lat week First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that all legal Covid measures in Wales could be removed by March 28. He said Wales will remain at alert level zero for the time being but legal requirements could go following a review on March 24 if the public health situation remains stable.
If it does it means on March 28 it will no longer be compulsory to wear face coverings in shops, on public transport, or in healthcare settings from that date and self-isolation will not be required by law.
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