10., 11. & 12. The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Alteration of Expiry Date) (Wales) Regulations 2022, The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2022 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 8) Regulations 2022

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:35 pm on 29 March 2022.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 5:35, 29 March 2022

I think we're in a place now where we need to trust the public, and actually the public in Wales have been quite remarkable. They've been quite remarkable. They have followed guidance, and it is difficult, but, at some point, you have to make that change. Also, I think, it is difficult. We're the only place—and certainly when we're making these calls—the only place in the UK to have the tightest regulations still and we have the lowest levels of COVID. Now, we'll always do what's right for us in Wales, and we have done all the way through. We've never been pushed around, we never followed what they're doing in England, but we had set out a route-map, and what we've done here is to compromise, because of the situation, but we do think it's time now for the public to take on that responsibility. They know what to do, they've been doing it. People have been great, and I think it's really important that we understand that that responsibility moves now to them. 

But when it comes to health and social care settings, why have we kept them there? Well, we've kept them there because these are very vulnerable settings. These are where they most vulnerable people are. We are very concerned about nosocomial transmission, transmission within hospitals, and so that's one of the reasons why we've made sure that we've kept those protections in place to protect the most vulnerable people. Because, as I say, we're going to have to learn to live with this, but the people we need to just constantly look out for are the most vulnerable people. 

We will have this three-week cycle. The fact that we haven't ended the legal protections means that there will be another round. [Interruption.] Sorry, yes.