Southport

Thousands of fans are set to return to watch sports fixtures in Wales as Covid Rules limiting crowds at stadiums ease.

After Christmas, meant fans were effectively banned from games in Wales.

The Welsh Government confirmed that from Friday, all limits on sports events will be scrapped.

Pubs and restaurants will also be able to operate outdoors without the rule of six or social distancing.

It is The Second part of a three-week roadmap to scrap restrictions imposed because of the Omicron variant.

Plans to allow nightclubs to open and remove social distancing Rules on businesses will also go ahead on 28 January, the Welsh Government said, unless " the Public Health situation changes for the worse".

But the Welsh Conservatives said First Minister Mark Drakeford should set a date for all Covid-related laws - including mask wearing and self-isolation Rules - to be lifted.

Plaid Cymru said the Welsh Government needs to set out what else it will do to help the hospitality sector.

Friday's changes mean crowds can return to football matches, with Swansea due to play Preston At Home this Saturday.

Anyone over 18 will still have to show a to go to larger outdoor event, so they can show they are either fully vaccinated or have had a negative lateral flow test in The Past 24 hours.

The passes, which are being scrapped in England , will also still be required in cinemas and theatres.

Before Mr Drakeford set out, he had faced growing pressure to ease sporting restrictions, including from.

He Said : " We remain cautiously confident the Public Health situation is heading in The Right direction and next week we will be able to complete The Move to alert level zero, unless The Situation changes for the worse. "

Alert level zero is the lowest level of measures, where all businesses are allowed to reopen without two-metre social distancing Rules in place.

If all goes to plan, the rule of six will not apply in pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres from 28 January.

However face masks will still be required in most indoor public places,

Self-isolation Rules also remain in force, and work from home guidance will remain advice but will not be law.

Wales, brought in new Covid restrictions over Christmas because of a rapid rise in cases driven by the Omicron variant.

The decision to continue easing The Rules comes as the Wales case rate continues to fall.

It is down 66% in a week to 500. 8 cases per 100,000, the lowest since 9 December.

The Number of patients with Covid in hospital is 757, an 11% fall on last week, while numbers in Critical Care stand at 25, the lowest since 11 August.

Covid Rules will no longer be reviewed weekly as the Welsh Government returns to reviews every three weeks, as it was pre-Omicron.

It will hold its next review by 10 February, when ministers will " review all the measures at alert level zero".

The Welsh Conservatives ' health spokesman, Russell George , called for a date for the scrapping of " all Covid laws, including the legal requirement to isolate, because the freedoms of the Welsh People must not be withheld much longer without good cause".

He Said : " The data says it all: the prevalence of the Omicron variant is receding as quickly as it arrived and We Are well beyond The Peak of The Wave .

" The Extraordinary success of the booster vaccination campaign shows that The People of This Country and The Virus are both behaving in ways that allow us to move back to normality. "

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price called for more support for the hospitality sector and any other industry adversely affected by the pandemic.

" In the meantime, we must continue to see effective measures to limit community transmission including mitigating the spread of The Virus within our schools through urgent investment in ventilation, encouraging greater vaccine take-up, and ensuring our health and care services are given the support and resources they need, " he added.

The UK government said it intended to end the legal requirement for people who test positive for Covid to self-isolate in England - and replace it with advice and guidance.

The current regulations around self-isolation expire on 24 March, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggesting he would not renew them - and that the date could be brought forward if the data allows.

From 26 December, sports fixtures in Wales were forced behind closed doors without spectators, and volunteer Parkrun events were cancelled.

Nightclubs were closed, and events were limited to a maximum of 50 people outdoors and 30 people indoors.

However, with falling case rates, on 15 January Rules were eased with numbers allowed to meet outside for sport and events rising to 500.

Ahead of The Announcement of rule changes,

Chester FC, whose Deva Stadium home straddles the England and Wales border, hosted two home games since The Rules came into force.

The side had to postpone a game after being warned about playing further home matches with crowds while Covid Rules remained in place.

Its next home match is due to take place on February 5, against Southport .

Source of news: bbc.com