Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd, for the opportunity to update Members on the current public health situation and the outcome of the latest review of the coronavirus regulations, which was carried out last week.

Wales is currently at alert level 0. We have passed the omicron peak of the Christmas and new year period, and we are growing increasingly confident that cases are declining. Infections in the community are going down. The number of people being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 is going down, and the number of people in critical care with COVID-19 recently is the lowest since July 2021. All of this, of course, is very positive news.

There are, of course, some reasons why we should continue to be cautious. It's clear that the pandemic is not yet over. COVID, unfortunately, is still very much with us. The case rate, which is based on positive PCR tests, is 326 cases per 100,000. This is still a very high rate, although not as high as the extraordinary levels that we saw at the peak of the omicron wave.

We are also keeping a close eye on cases of the sub-variant of omicron, called BA.2. It's an even more transmissible form of the virus than the one that we have become used to. There have been almost 250 cases detected in Wales to date. There has been some speculation that this is what's driving the current high case rate in Northern Ireland.

Llywydd, before I turn to the outcome of the 21-day review, I want to reflect a moment on the huge progress and the difference that our fantastic vaccination programme has made. As we approach the second anniversary of the first case of coronavirus being diagnosed in Wales, more than 6.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered. More than nine out of 10 people have had one dose, 86 per cent have had two doses, and 67 per cent have had a booster dose. Vaccination has helped to change the course of this pandemic, weakening the link for so many of us between the virus, serious illness, hospitalisation and death. It has saved countless lives, and the speed of the roll-out of our booster programme undoubtedly helped us to weather the omicron storm.

I am pleased that our online rebooking system is now live and being phased in and integrated to health board COVID-19 vaccine delivery plans. This is another tool for health boards to provide additional contact methods for people to reschedule their appointment if the one they have been allocated is not convenient. Health boards will continue to have phone lines available for people who do not receive the rebooking text or are unable to access the online rebooking service. It is never too late to be vaccinated in Wales, and I would urge anyone who hasn't yet been vaccinated, or who hasn't finished their vaccine course, to come and get their jabs.

Whilst yet to be published officially by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, I have received JCVI advice regarding the vaccination of all five to 11-year-olds. I have agreed it, and we are working with health boards on implementing the offer. We await advice about whether the most vulnerable cohorts should have a further booster to protect them over the spring and summer months. We are working with health boards to plan for various scenarios to ensure we are agile and ready to implement any advice once I have considered this carefully.