have described disruption from covid in schools as being as bad now as it was at any time during the pandemic as they struggle to deal with staff absences. 28 march – the planned lifting of covid measures announced on 24 march goes ahead. 29 march – senedd members vote 29–11 to approve the latest covid law changes. 30 march – health minister eluned morgan describes wales's nhs as being under "extraordinary pressure" as it deals with a rise in covid cases. covid test centre staff in wales claim to have been "thrown to the wolves" after some were given short notice of days that their jobs would disappear. 31 march – health minister eluned morgan warns that planned treatment across the nhs in wales is expected to slow down due to covid. april 2022 8 april – headteachers have expressed their concern that pupils preparing to sit exams in the summer may be at an unfair disadvantage after missing specialist teaching during the pandemic; 2022 is the first years exams will be sat since the onset of the pandemic, with exams in 2020 and 2021 replaced by classroom-based assessment. 9 april – pharmacists have expressed their concern about a shortage of lateral flow tests in wales, particularly in rural areas, and fear this will lead to people testing themselves less frequently. 11 april – the welsh government is criticised for spending £32,000 on unlocked: covid stories from wales, a 10-episode podcast in which first minister mark drakeford defends his record on dealing with the pandemic. 13 april – the law requiring workplaces in wales to take covid-safe precautions is to be lifted from monday 18 april, the welsh government confirms. 20 april – nhs managers have described the covid situation in wales as "relentless", with cases continuing to affect the health service even though people are not getting so ill. 21 april – a teacher who sent a vulnerable pupil out of class for taking off his facemask to sip water, and then forgot to check on him, has been dismissed from her post. 22 april – figures from the office for national statistics indicate the number of covid-related deaths in wales has passed 10.000, with 10,019 deaths recorded as of the week up to 8 april. 24 april – health minister eluned morgan has dismissed claims from doctors that the nhs in wales is broken, but says it is under "immense" pressure. 25 april – as the welsh government prepares to publish a strategy for reducing the nhs backlog, it is estimated that it could be 2025 before waiting times for many procedures are under a year. around 500 beds and mattresses urgently procured to furnish the swansea bay field hospital are to be donated to vulnerable people, including families displaced by the 2022 russian invasion of ukraine. may 2022 2 may – business experts in wales have urged that companies struggling following the pandemic need better access to small loans. 5 may – with the requirement to wear face masks about to end for schools, first minister mark drakeford confirms they will still be required in health and care settings. 8 may – services resume at soar y mynydd chapel following the pandemic; the chapel believed to be the remotest place of worship in wales. 9 may – face masks are no longer required to be worn in schools in wales. 13 may – the exam watchdog qualifications wales confirms that pupils in wales will continue to receive advance notice of exam content during the 2022–23 academic year. 15 may – children’s commissioner rocio cifuentes has urged caution when it comes to fining parents whose children are absent from school, saying that some children have found it difficult to adjust to being back at school again following the pandemic. a police officer has been sacked by north wales police for allegedly leaking the name of a woman who reported her aunt and uncle to police over a planned lockdown rule breaking party. 19 may – as of midday the daily reporting of covid statistics in wales comes to an end, with figures reported weekly from now on. 30 may – the wearing of face coverings in health and social care settings in wales is no longer a legal requirement, thus ending the last of wales's covid regulations. a report compiled by wales's auditor general, adrian compton, estimates it could take as long as seven years to get hospital waiting lists in wales back to pre-covid levels. june 2022 1 june – a number of health workers from wales are recognised in the 2022 birthday honours for their work during the covid-19 pandemic. july 2022 7 july – the annual llangollen international eisteddfod makes its first post-covid return as a physical event as its celebrates its 75th anniversary, albeit the event is on a smaller scale than previously. august 2022 no events. september 2022 no events. october 2022 5 october – campaigners have criticised first minister mark drakeford for being insensitive after he said those wishing to have a separate covid-19 inquiry for wales have "moved on". in response the welsh government says drakeford was referring to the group having "shifted their focus", and that a uk-wide inquiry can better for examining decisions made by the four nations of the uk. 10 october – the 2022 bafta cymru awards ceremony is held in cardiff, the first to take place in-person since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.