Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales (2022) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page tells you about the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales during 2022. The rules and how things were reported were a bit different in Wales compared to other parts of the UK like England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

COVID-19 in Wales: A 2022 Timeline
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COVID-19 in Wales: A 2022 Timeline

January 2022: New Year and Omicron

1 January –
- Wales's top doctor, Dr Frank Atherton, received a special honour called a knighthood.
- New Year celebrations in Wales were quieter than usual. This was because of COVID rules and people worrying about the virus.
2 January –
- Data showed that 11,820 COVID cases were recorded on 27 December 2021. This was the highest daily number for Wales so far.
- Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, said the next few weeks would be tough. He expected cases of the Omicron variant to peak in January. But experts thought cases would then drop quickly.
3 January – Morriston Hospital in Swansea warned that its emergency department was very busy. Many staff were absent.
4 January – Up to 15% of NHS staff in Wales were off work due to COVID. Even though Omicron caused less severe illness, the health service was under strain. This was due to the high number of cases.
5 January –
- There was a huge demand for COVID tests. Health Minister Eluned Morgan said that from the next day, people without symptoms who tested positive with a rapid lateral flow test would not need a follow-up PCR test. They still had to self-isolate for seven days.
- The Welsh Rugby Union thought about playing some 2022 Six Nations Championship matches in England. This was because of rules limiting crowds in Wales.
6 January –
- First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed no changes to COVID rules in Wales. He warned of a "difficult month ahead" as cases were very high.
- The number of shoppers in Wales fell by a fifth in December 2021. This was compared to before the pandemic.
7 January – First Minister Mark Drakeford said there would be no relaxing of COVID rules in Wales.
8 January – Businesses in Wales worried about the economy. If Six Nations rugby games moved to England, Cardiff alone could lose £20 million per game.
9 January – BBC News reported on Chester F.C.. Their football ground is on the England–Wales border. They were warned for having too many fans at games. This was allowed in England but not in Wales.
10 January – Schools across Wales welcomed students back for in-person lessons.
11 January –
- First Minister Mark Drakeford said the Welsh Government would look at easing COVID rules next week. But he said it was a "big if" whether the situation would allow it.
- About 10,000 NHS staff were self-isolating due to COVID. This was the highest number since April 2020.
12 January – About 3,000 people with COVID had received antiviral tablets in a trial.
14 January – First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed most COVID rules in Wales would be lifted. This would happen over the next two weeks if cases kept falling. The number of people allowed at outdoor events immediately increased from 50 to 500.
15 January – Sports clubs and Parkrun welcomed the new rules. They were happy that 500 people could now gather outdoors.
17 January – Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said the rules brought in for the Omicron variant "were worth it." He believed they prevented more harm.
21 January – Wales removed limits on people at sports events. The "rule of six" for pubs and restaurants outdoors was also lifted.
23 January – First Minister Mark Drakeford said he might hire NHS staff from England. This would be for those who lost jobs for not getting vaccinated.
24 January – Care providers in Wales considered hiring a small number of unvaccinated staff from England.
25 January –
- First Minister Mark Drakeford said it was okay to take holidays abroad. This was the first time the Welsh Government had not advised against foreign travel.
- A scientific adviser hoped future lockdowns would not be needed.
27 January – More than half of hospital patients with COVID were being treated for other conditions. Their COVID was "incidental."
28 January – Wales cut the self-isolation period after a positive COVID test to five full days. This matched rules in England and Northern Ireland. Nightclubs reopened, and social distancing rules ended.
29 January – An expert worried about schools deciding their own face mask rules. He thought this should not happen.
30 January – A report showed a lack of childcare for disabled children. Parents felt alone during the pandemic.
31 January – Figures showed 551 people were in hospital with COVID. This was a 20% drop from the week before.

February 2022: Easing Rules and Vaccinations

2 February – Some schools and a college tried a longer school day. They hoped this would help students catch up after the pandemic.
4 February – A company in Cardiff planned to pay for its 55 staff to have a four-day break in Tenerife. This was a reward for working hard during the pandemic.
7 February – Many Welsh holiday resorts were fully booked for 2022. This was despite travel rules being lifted.
10 February –
- The Welsh Government confirmed that about 53,000 care workers would get a £1,000 bonus. This was part of introducing the living wage.
- First Minister Mark Drakeford said falling COVID cases meant rules could be lifted. COVID passes were no longer needed from 18 February. Face masks were lifted in schools and most public places from 28 February.
- Mr Drakeford himself tested positive for COVID.
13 February – Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board urged vulnerable children aged 5–11 to get a COVID vaccine. They also offered vaccines to children living with vulnerable adults.
14 February – New data showed that 95% of hospital patients with COVID were being treated for other conditions.
15 February – Wales became the first UK country to offer COVID vaccines to children aged five to eleven.
17 February –
- A record 683,331 people were waiting for non-urgent surgery in December 2021. This was the 20th month in a row that records were broken.
- The Welsh Government announced that COVID passes for large events and venues would be scrapped the next day.
23 February – Ceredigion decided to keep wider pavements and one-way streets. These were put in place during lockdown to help social distancing.
24 February – The Welsh Government suggested giving COVID and flu vaccines at the same time in the autumn.
28 February – Face masks were no longer required in classrooms and places like museums. But they were still needed in shops, hairdressers, health settings, and on public transport.

March 2022: Testing Changes and NHS Pressure

2 March – BBC News online reported on "pandemic brain." This is when people have memory loss, tiredness, and trouble concentrating. It's caused by changes to routine and uncertainty.
4 March –
- The Welsh Government planned to stop free mass COVID testing from the end of March. They aimed to lift all rules by 28 March.
- However, a business group asked the Welsh Government to keep free rapid tests for longer.
6 March – Health Minister Eluned Morgan said it would be hard to fund COVID testing once the UK government stopped universal free testing.
24 March – The Welsh Government confirmed plans to scrap some COVID rules from 28 March. This was despite more cases. Face coverings were no longer a legal rule in shops and on public transport. But they were still needed in health and care places.
27 March – Teaching unions said COVID disruption in schools was as bad as ever. They struggled with staff absences.
28 March – The planned lifting of COVID rules went ahead.
29 March – Members of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) voted to approve the latest COVID law changes.
30 March –
- Health Minister Eluned Morgan said Wales's NHS was under "extraordinary pressure." It was dealing with a rise in COVID cases.
- Some COVID test centre staff said they were given very short notice that their jobs would end.
31 March – Health Minister Eluned Morgan warned that planned treatments in the NHS would slow down due to COVID.

April 2022: Exams and Hospital Pressure

8 April – Headteachers worried that students taking exams might be at a disadvantage. They missed special teaching during the pandemic. 2022 was the first year for exams since the pandemic began.
9 April – Pharmacists worried about a shortage of rapid lateral flow tests in Wales. They feared people would test less often.
11 April – The Welsh Government was criticized for spending £32,000 on a podcast. In the podcast, First Minister Mark Drakeford talked about his handling of the pandemic.
13 April – The rule requiring workplaces in Wales to take COVID-safe steps was lifted from 18 April.
20 April – NHS managers said the COVID situation in Wales was "relentless." Cases still affected the health service, even if people were not getting as sick.
21 April – A teacher was dismissed for sending a vulnerable student out of class. The student took off his face mask to sip water, and the teacher forgot to check on him.
22 April – Figures showed that COVID-related deaths in Wales had passed 10,000.
24 April – Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the NHS in Wales was under "immense" pressure.
25 April –
- It was thought it could take until 2025 for hospital waiting times to be under a year.
- About 500 beds bought for a temporary hospital were given to people in need. This included families affected by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

May 2022: Last Rules Lifted

2 May – Business experts said companies struggling after the pandemic needed easier access to small loans.
5 May – First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed face masks would still be needed in health and care settings. This was as the school mask rule was ending.
8 May – Services restarted at Soar y mynydd chapel. It is thought to be the most remote place of worship in Wales.
9 May – Face masks were no longer required in schools in Wales.
13 May – The exam watchdog confirmed students in Wales would still get early notice of exam content for the next school year.
15 May – The Children’s Commissioner urged caution about fining parents for school absences. Some children found it hard to return to school after the pandemic.
19 May – Daily reporting of COVID statistics in Wales ended. Figures would now be reported weekly.
30 May –
- Wearing face coverings in health and social care settings in Wales was no longer a legal rule. This ended the last of Wales's COVID rules.
- A report estimated it could take up to seven years to get hospital waiting lists back to pre-COVID levels.

June 2022: Honours for Health Workers

1 June – Many health workers from Wales received special honours. This was for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 2022: Return of a Festival

7 July – The annual Llangollen International Eisteddfod returned as a physical event. It was its 75th anniversary. The event was a bit smaller than before.

October 2022: Inquiries and Awards

5 October – Some people wanted a separate COVID-19 inquiry for Wales. Campaigners said First Minister Mark Drakeford was insensitive. The Welsh Government said he meant they had "shifted their focus." They believed a UK-wide inquiry was better.
10 October – The 2022 BAFTA Cymru Awards Ceremony was held in Cardiff. It was the first in-person ceremony since the start of the pandemic.