The next item is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services—an update on COVID-19. I call on the Minister to make that statement—Eluned Morgan.

Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to give an update to this place on the recent information on coronavirus.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (David Rees) took the Chair.

Thanks for the opportunity to provide an update about the current public health situation, the outcome of the latest review of the coronavirus regulations, and our plans to move beyond the emergency response to the pandemic as we move to live safely with coronavirus in the longer term.

I’m pleased to report that cases of coronavirus continue to be well below the peak that we saw with omicron across Wales. The latest figures show we have 178 cases per 100,000 people in Wales, but that's based on positive PCR tests. As I've previously said, however, we now need to look at a wider range of measures to understand the public health picture beyond just the PCR tests. And one of the best ways of doing this is the regular Office for National Statistics's coronavirus infection survey, which is currently carried out across the United Kingdom. The infection survey shows that infections in Wales have been falling over recent weeks. They also show that levels of infection in Wales continue to be lower than elsewhere in the United Kingdom. The public health situation is improving steadily, thanks to everyone’s hard work. People in Wales continue to follow the rules and do all those small things that help to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Last week, we reviewed all the protections we have in place at the moment and we agreed Wales will remain at alert level 0. As long as the public health situation remains favourable, we will aim to remove all the legal frameworks that have underpinned our response to the pandemic for the last two years at the end of March. This means the legal requirement to wear face coverings in those remaining settings, the requirement to self-isolate, and the requirement for businesses to carry out specific COVID risk assessments will come to an end.

Dirprwy Lywydd, these measures have kept us safe for two years and we'll not be abandoning them. We don't want to forget all those behaviours that have helped to protect us from this dreadful virus. We'll be producing guidance, we'll be advising people to carry on wearing a face covering in certain places, and to self-isolate for five days if they have symptoms, to wash their hands regularly, to meet people outdoors, if possible, and to keep indoor spaces well ventilated. We want to keep on keeping each other safe as we move to the next phase of our response, because the pandemic is not yet over. Coronavirus won’t vanish on 28 March just because we no longer have regulations.

As we move away from a law-based approach, we'll also be making changes to testing. Between the end of March and June, we'll gradually move in a phased way from PCR testing and lateral flow testing being available to everyone. PCR tests will no longer be used for symptomatic testing. Instead, lateral flow tests will be available to order free online for people with symptoms.

Dirprwy Lywydd, on Friday, we published our longer term plan 'Together for a safer future', which sets out how we'll move beyond the emergency footing we have been on for the last two years. It retains the two planning assumptions we first described in the autumn—COVID stable and COVID urgent. We hope and believe that COVID stable is the most likely scenario for the future.

We hope that our vaccines will continue to be effective and that the national health service will not be overwhelmed. Our public health response will be based on the existing, well-established protocols for communicable diseases, and the surveillance and reporting of COVID-19 will take place alongside the reporting mechanisms for respiratory infections. We will begin to integrate our very successful COVID-19 vaccination programme with other preventative vaccines to maximise protection, based on the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the office of the Chief Medical Officer for Wales. The programme will continue to focus on protecting our most vulnerable, and we will be offering a booster vaccine in the coming weeks to over-75s, older care home residents and the most vulnerable.

As I outlined three weeks ago, we will be offering a vaccine to every child between the ages of five and 11 later this month. This is a precautionary offer to increase children's immunity against severe COVID-19 in advance of a potential future wave, and this will also give them the best chance of a smooth autumn term after the summer holidays. I would urge families to talk about this offer now. There’s more information on the Public Health Wales website to help them make a decision.

I want to reiterate that if you haven’t had a vaccination yet, it's never too late. Almost 6.9 million doses of the vaccine have been delivered in just over a year. The vaccination programme has saved lives, and it continues to weaken the link between virus and serious illness.

Dirprwy Lywydd, we will also prepare for the worst, but in the hope, of course, that this doesn’t happen. I'm very mindful of the views of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group that future variants are highly likely to appear and that these may lead to more significant levels of direct harm than we have seen from the omicron variant.

Under the COVID urgent scenario, we have contingency plans in place to respond to a deteriorating public health situation. In such a situation, we would take the necessary actions to protect people’s health, by scaling back up our test, trace and protect service, and taking collective action to protect the most vulnerable. We have asked health boards to plan for a COVID urgent scenario, and in this scenario they will need to stand up surge capacity in the vaccination programme if a quick response should be needed once again.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I’m very pleased that I can say today, thanks to the fantastic vaccination programme, and to people across Wales for their hard work, sacrifice and patience, that we are poised to leave the public health emergency behind us and start a very different relationship, hopefully, with the virus.

The Conservative spokesperson, Russell George.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for your statement today, Minister. I very much welcome the announcement last Friday regarding a road map to releasing restrictions, with the majority of restrictions being lifted at the end of this month. This is very good and positive news indeed, and, of course, as Welsh Conservatives, we've been calling for this for several weeks. So, I'm glad that the Government has now provided this road map and easing of restrictions. What I would like to understand, Minister, is, given your criticism of the UK Government for lifting restrictions when they did—and I guess you can include the Northern Ireland Executive in that way as well, as they announced the same at the same period of time—can you explain what evidence you've seen to make these changes? Because when I asked you just last week to scrap all restrictions, you said:

'Unlike in England...we like to follow the science rather than the politics here in Wales'.

And then, three days later, after saying that, you did the same yourself. So, can you explain the science that changed your position in those three days last week? After 28 March, Minister, I'm very pleased that we will see the end of restrictions. Can I ask you when you anticipate the three-week review cycle to conclude? Will that continue for some time? When are you expecting to get to a point where those three-week cycles will no longer take place?

The UK Government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies committee is winding down. I would, perhaps, just ask, is your Government doing the same for the technical advisory cell? I appreciate that some structures will wind down but will remain dormant. There are elements of putting some of these infrastructures into a dormant state, ready to react—although we don't want to see this—should restrictions come back, or the pandemic comes back at any point as well. But I'm interested to know your views in that regard.

I'd also be interested to know, Minister, whether the Welsh Government Cabinet has discussed whether to reintroduce COVID alert levels during next winter, during those winter months, should cases rise, especially given the First Minister's comments last Friday—and I don't disagree with his comments—that the pandemic isn't over and that there could be fluctuations in global patterns for several years to come. I'm obviously concerned here that we do not want to be at the stage where we're back into a full lockdown next winter, so I'd very much like that to be taken off the table. I appreciate you don't have a crystal ball, but you do work on assumptions and you do work on modelling, and we are in a very different place to where we were in March 2020 with so many uncertainties. Can you also tell me what preparations the Welsh Government is now making for future pandemics, should they arise, so that lessons can truly be learnt about the community spread and hospital-acquired infections?

We're also moving into a recovery phase from the pandemic, and given that it's a year since your predecessor published the Welsh NHS's recovery plan, I'd be interested to know where you are in terms of the COVID-lite surgical hubs to help tackle the mounting backlog in Wales. In December, waiting figures didn't make good reading at all, with one in four patient pathways waiting over a year for treatment and a staggering 50,000 still waiting for over two years for treatment. I for one very much welcomed the announcement in regard to the winter plan for hubs, but we're not hearing much about this. Given the fact that we're technically out of winter, how far are health boards with COVID-lite hubs, and what timescales are you now working to in order to reduce one-year and two-year waits? Could you also outline the actions the Welsh Government are taking in terms of ensuring that the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group will get core participation status in the UK-wide public inquiry, given the fact that the Welsh Government has, extremely disappointingly, refused to hold a public inquiry to look at your actions here in Wales specifically?

Finally—I have asked this before, and I hope you can answer this this time—Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson both presented their plans to live with COVID and the end of restrictions to their respective Parliaments, but, here in Wales, those comments were made first to journalists and then later here in our Parliament. Can you explain why this continues to be regularly the case? Diolch, Llywydd.

Diolch yn fawr. Thanks very much, Russell. I'm glad that you're welcoming the lifting of restrictions. Of course, our job is to keep Wales safe. Other Governments keep their own people safe, but our responsibility is to do it in the way that we believe is correct for us, and we do that by always trying to follow the evidence and the science. But we've always been very clear that, actually, it was always going to be the case that we would go in the same direction as the UK Government, it was just a question of timing. We believe that the timing that we announced on Friday will work for us. We are in a situation where, of course, we're not lifting those restrictions yet—we're keeping them in place for another month, effectively. That will ease us into, hopefully, a warmer time. We know that there's a seasonality to the shape of the virus and the way it hits our communities. We're hoping, as things get warmer, that we will be in a situation by 24 June, of course, where there will be no restrictions anymore and it will be a very different position. So, we're not the same as England, and that's the reason why we are in a different place from England.

We have started discussions with TAC in terms of what that might look like in future, and we're very keen to make sure that we keep in place an infrastructure that would allow us to spring back into action if we were to see a new and dangerous variant. Of course, that is made more difficult because of the restricted funding that we're getting now from the UK Government. Certainly, in terms of COVID alert levels, we will keep them on the back burner ready and, of course, we'll need to keep an eye on developments. Nobody wants to go back into lockdown, but I do think it's irresponsible to say that we would never do that. We have no idea what's ahead of us, Russell, and it always makes sense to make sure that you have a range of options available to you in terms of being able to respond.

In terms of lessons learnt, we have been trying to learn lessons all the way along during the pandemic. We're continuing to learn those lessons, but, of course, there will be more lessons to learn, and I'm sure some of those will come out during the course of the inquiry. You asked about the core participant status for COVID-bereaved families. I know that the First Minister has discussed this issue with the bereaved families for justice. The inquiry will set out the process for designating the core participant status, and we don't know yet how the chair is going to do this. What we wouldn't want to do is to do anything that would end up causing more harm than helping that situation.

Certainly, when it comes to waiting lists, we will be publishing our planned care plan in April and, obviously, we'll be looking at how we can see better regional co-operation in terms of trying to address that backlog that we've been looking at. And just to emphasise that, actually, I thought that the NHS did a remarkable job in December. We only saw an increase of 0.2 per cent in December. That's despite the fact that we asked them to concentrate and to roll out the booster at a superfast pace. So, I'm really pleased, actually, that things are already moving in the NHS. Of course, we've got a long way to go. On our figures, of course, we count very differently from the way that they count their waiting lists in England. In terms of the 21-day review, I think it makes sense for us to continue with this. I think we need to consider whether that is necessary beyond 24 June.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd. I hope that this has been a very significant statement, and what I mean by that is that I hope that this is the last major statement that marks the beginning of the end—only the beginning of the end, of course, not the end of the pandemic. There will be other twists in the road I'm sure, but we can only hope that we will be continuing to travel in the right direction.

Because of that significance, there are a number of questions I'd like to pose. First of all, yes, we have the two scenarios—that things remain stable, or become urgent. What is that transition between the two? I think that's an issue we could do with some more clarification on. Specifically, of course, it's not acceptable that the funding has been withdrawn by the UK Treasury, but in the absence of that funding, is there a fund that's ready to go—an easy-access fund, if you like—held by Welsh Government, where support could be put back in place if we did have to take a step back because of a new variant? Also, the legislative frameworks will be lapsing in a matter of weeks now; is there new legislation that we would need to reintroduce, or introduce anew, in order to reintroduce restrictions, which we very much hope won't be required, of course?

I think I'm content with what I've heard from the Minister and her team in terms of testing continuing to be available free of charge. In order to be entirely certain of that, could I have an explanation of what will happen to people who are vulnerable? Pharmacies will sell tests, of course, but can I be given a full assurance that anyone who needs a test because of vulnerability will not have to pay for those tests under any circumstances? Also, one question that I've failed to get a response to in briefings from the Minister and her officials to date is: when exactly will we get a definition of who will be considered vulnerable in months to come? Because I know that one of the questions that I was asked most regularly in the first months of the pandemic was people asking, 'Am I vulnerable? Am I to be on a list of people who are to be safeguarded?' So, I would appreciate more information on that.

One issue that I know is of concern to health professionals is ventilation within the NHS estate. We've talked a great deal about ventilation in schools specifically, and a few other settings, but can we have an explanation of the assessment that's been made by the Welsh Government of the work that's been done on the NHS estate—in hospitals and so on—in order to ensure the safety of staff by having adequate ventilation through those buildings?

There are two other issues. I asked the Minister last week if she would be willing to join my call for the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice in Wales to be given core participant status in the UK inquiry. I and that campaign and many of us wanted a Wales-specific inquiry; that was blocked by Welsh Government. I'm astounded by the response we heard a few minutes ago from the Minister, actually, who said that they don't want to intervene somehow in the UK inquiry. I'm asking the Minister again today: just join our calls for COVID-bereaved family campaigners to be given core participant status. Yes, we hope that the Welsh public as a whole, and the Welsh Government, and us as opposition parties, and the health and care services in Wales, will be listened to by the UK inquiry. But this is a campaign group that has its own legal counsel, that has gone through the diligent work of gathering the kind of evidence that we need to make sure gets heard by the UK inquiry. So, I'm asking Welsh Government again: will you join our call? I've written to the UK inquiry asking for that to be the case, please would the Minister also back that call? Not as the exclusive interaction between Wales and that inquiry, but as a very, very important element of it.

And finally, we are coming up to two years, or we're at the two-year point, since the pandemic began. There are health and care workers in particular who contracted the virus in the early days, perhaps being exposed to a particularly heavy viral load, because they were on the front line in the NHS and in the care service. They are now facing the prospect of having their pay halved—those who are still suffering the devastating effects of long COVID to this very day. As far as I know, COVID special leave is still in place in Scotland to protect NHS workers who are in this position. It is not good enough to cast those NHS workers who put themselves in harm's way aside at this point. They need assurance that they will not see their pay cut, and I'm asking Welsh Government to look at this issue as a matter of real urgency, to give hard-working, caring staff within the NHS the support that they need after they cared for others in those first dark days of COVID two years ago.

Thank you very much, and I too very much hope that this is the last major statement with regard to COVID, and I very much hope that we can continue and focus on other issues regarding the NHS in future.

Just in terms of the absence of funding, if we needed to return to some of these measures in futures, there's always funding in reserve and we would have to make a case to the Minister for Finance and Local Government if funding was required in future. The legislation is going to come to an end on 24 March this year. We've undertaken a detailed assessment of what will stop to ensure that nothing that has a legislative basis remains after that, and we are content with that particular situation. Of course, we'll have to keep an eye on what happens in future. What we don't want to see is a situation where the UK Government tries to use different legislation that would prevent us from having the role that we've had hitherto.

In terms of testing—.

The lateral flow tests will continue to be available from pharmacies until 31 March. Discussions are taking place with our partners to ensure that those vulnerable people who are digitally excluded can continue to access tests when they need after 31 March. So, there is a facility for you to phone up and to get that support, or you can obviously order those online. We're also working with our community hubs and local collection points to ensure that from April, the most vulnerable can continue to access tests in person. And, of course, we will be moving to use lateral flow tests for symptomatic individuals. 

Just in terms of ventilation in hospitals—

—there have been lots of reports and assessments made in terms of making sure that people are taking that situation seriously, so every health board knows exactly what they need to do in this space. 

I've given an answer on the core participants' status, but I think it's really important that we do stand by our health and care workers and give them the medical support that they need. They were on the front line for us, they suffered for us and, obviously, we've put a lot of support in place, particularly when it comes to health workers in terms of mental health but also in terms of long COVID support. But I think there is a lot more work to do in this space, and we need to make sure we stand by these people who were there for us throughout the pandemic. 

I've been contacted by a constituent stating, 'My husband had his first COVID vaccination in Scotland, second in Wales and booster in England.' This year, he's had two letters with appointments for a vaccination. After he pursued the first, he was told, 'Unfortunately, we aren't authorised to record vaccinations given outside north Wales as it's outside our jurisdiction. Having checked the system, none of your vaccination details have been transferred over to us from NHS England.' He then learned that, in fact, his booster had been recorded but not his initial Scottish vaccination, and there was no mechanism for recording this. He then received another letter offering him a vaccination appointment. When he pursued this, he was given the option of opting out, but given that he's likely to be eligible for a fourth vaccination or second booster later in the year, that's not an option he's willing to accept, and after discussion, it was agreed he would have to have a stop on his record until June. As the wife said, both England and Scotland have sorted out the issue of people having vaccinations in different places. Why can't Wales manage it?

When I pursued this with the health board, their chief executive stated, 'The national vaccination record system is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. We can't alter the record for vaccines received outside our area. We've repeatedly raised this issue at a national level because of the problems it causes.' How do you respond to my constituent accordingly?

Thanks very much, Mark. This is an issue that has been ongoing for a long time, so whilst the Wales and England systems speak to each other and they can record and we can know exactly if people have had a first vaccination and a second vaccination in England, the system has never worked with Scotland. And the responsibility for that and the people leading on the digital side of this is actually England, so we have been asking them to try and correct the situation for a long time, but we're still waiting for that to happen.

I just want to say a word about our track, trace and protect staff, who have been a huge part of the effort to keep us safe over recent years. They're now being discarded at what feels like a moment's notice. I know of workers, for example, who've just had 48 hours' notice that their hours were being cut. They, frankly, did a job that not many people wanted to do, and they're being paid back with this abrupt reduction in hours, which has serious implications for their livelihoods, of course, and their incomes, at a time when we know that the cost-of-living crisis is—it's not emerging, it's with us. So, if the scheme is to be wound down, do you not agree that that should happen gradually and that it should happen in a way that acknowledges that people's livelihoods depend on these jobs, because they were all heroes last year, but now it seems they're being tossed off at a whim?

Thanks very much, and I must say that I would endorse your view that these have become really skilled workers. They have done a terrific job for us, and certainly kept the rates lower than they would have been, thanks to their huge efforts. Of course, we're reluctant to let these people go. There was obviously a time when it would have to come to an end, but, as you say, this is rather an abrupt end to what has been a very effective programme. The problem, of course, is that the funding was cut by the UK Government, and certainly we would have liked to have seen a much slower phasing of that than the one I'm afraid we've had to impose.

I thank the Minister.