Thank you very much, Llywydd. I move the motions in front of us.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No.5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 set out the legislative framework for four warning levels that are outlined in the coronavirus control plan. As noted in the regulations, a review must be undertaken every three weeks. In the review on 14 July, it was noted that cases of the coronavirus were increasing in the community, primarily as a result of the Delta variant, but the high vaccination rates meant that the number of those presenting at hospital continue to be low because they could continue to implement the changes to alert level 1 on 17 July.

In July we also published an updated version of the coronavirus control plan to outline our plan to move to alert level 0, a new level. On alert level 0 there are no legal restrictions on the number of people who can meet each other, including in private homes, in public areas, and in events. Those businesses that remained closed, including nightclubs, could reopen. As part of the review on 5 August, it was noted that the general rates of COVID-19 had decreased across Wales, and the percentage of people who received a positive test had started to decrease consistently. The pressure on the health service as a result of COVID-19 continued to be low, and this meant that Wales could move to alert level 0 from midnight on 7 August. The requirement for people to isolate, if they came into close contact with the virus, was abolished for those who had been vaccinated fully, and also for children under 18 years of age, as part of that review. Also, the requirement for people to wear face coverings was abolished in hospitality settings.

In the review on 26 August, it was noted that the transmission rates of COVID-19 had increased across Wales during that period, and the percentage of people who received a positive test had also increased. But, the evidence still suggests that the link between the cases of people presenting in hospitals and deaths had been weakened by the vaccination programme. Some minor changes to the regulations came into force on Saturday 28 August, including exempting people attending wedding ceremonies or civil partnerships from the legal requirement to wear a face covering, ensuring consistency for wedding receptions that had already been exempted since the review period of 5 August. Thank you.