People in Wales who test positive for Covid will still have to self-isolate for 10 days – unlike 7 days for England

There are more changes to the Covid rules in Wales

This time it’s about self-isolation requirements for close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases.

Now fully vaccinated adults and children between 5 and 18 identified as a close contact of a positive case of COVID-19 will NOT need to isolate.

Instead, they should take lateral flow tests for 7 days as a precaution.

But the Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan says Wales is sticking to the 10-day self-isolation period for people who test positive for Covid.

That's in spite of it being cut to 7 days in England.

Advice for children under 5 is unchanged – they will not need to isolate and are not required to take a PCR test or do lateral flow tests.

Unvaccinated need to stay isolated

No changes for those without a vaccine – they still to self-isolate for 10 days if they are in close contact with a positive case and will need to take PCR tests on day 2 and day 8 following their exposure to a positive case.

A statement from the Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan said:

“It remains a legal requirement for all unvaccinated contacts to self-isolate for 10 days following their exposure to a positive case. If anyone has not had a first or second dose, it is not too late for individuals to contact their health board to arrange an appointment.

“Alternatively, you may be able to attend a walk-in centre; health boards will include details of local arrangements on their website. No one who chooses to be vaccinated will be left behind.”

The Minister said the changes we about trying to balance public health with keeping the economy and public services running:

“On 3 December, the Welsh Government introduced Omicron-specific regulations to require any contacts of suspected or confirmed Omicron cases to self-isolate. In responding to the pandemic, we have always tried to balance COVID and non-COVID Covid harms.

“As with all our responses to COVID-19, we vow only to keep regulations and restrictions in place only as long as they remain appropriate and proportionate.

“The levels of Omicron have already increased significantly in recent weeks and has now become the dominant variant in parts of the UK. As cases in Wales continue to rise, it is now reaching the point where it is no longer proportionate or operationally feasible to base our response specifically on Omicron.

“Requiring an increasing number of fully vaccinated individuals to self-isolate will impact on our critical public services, at a time when they are under immense pressure to keep Wales safe.”

The Health Minister said she has amended the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restriction) (No.5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 in order to balance the public health threat posed by Omicron with the impact of self-isolation on individual well-being, education, public services and the economy:

“Since 22 December 2021, fully vaccinated adults, children aged 5-18 and vaccine clinical trial participants identified as a close contact of a positive case of COVID-19 in Wales will not need to isolate. Instead, they will be strongly advised to take lateral flow tests for 7 days as a precautionary measure. Children under 5 will not need to isolate and are not required to take a PCR test or do lateral flow tests.”

You can get lateral flow tests: by collecting from a pharmacy or a local collection point: Find your nearest pharmacy or collection point and opening times (on nhs.uk)

under agreed arrangements with workplaces and education settings

by ordering online for home delivery: Order rapid lateral flow home test kits on GOV.UK. You can order 1 home testing kit (7 tests) at a time. Delivery takes 1 to 2 days

For the purpose of these regulations, fully vaccinated means someone who has received two doses of a MHRA regulated vaccine in the UK (at least 14 days before exposure). It does not include a booster vaccination at this stage.

Impact on NHS staffing levels

The statement said the move was to offset the impact of rising absence due to Covid among NHS staff:

“These changes will mitigate the impact of staffing levels being reduced across our workforces as a result of self-isolation – at a time when we expect absence levels to rise as a consequence of Omicron transmission.

“Evidence shows that lateral flow tests are more than 90% effective at detecting those who are most infectious when they use the test and therefore most likely to transmit the virus.

“Our move to daily contact testing is a proportionate measure to mitigate against transmission whilst protecting public services from significant staff absences. The NHS Covid-19 App continues to support our TTP system and will be updated with information for app users to alert them to the changes in Wales.”

10 days isolation to stay in Wales - for now

Yesterday there was new guidance for people in England who tested positive for COVID-19.

If they get negative lateral flow tests on day 6 and 7 they no longer have to self-isolate for the full 10 days.

But there’s no change to the 10 day self-isolation rule for positive cases in Wales – at least until January.

“ I have asked my officials to put the systems in place to enable a change from the 5th January should the balance of harms change and a rise in the number of cases risk our ability to deliver critical services.”

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