The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales during 2020. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
Timeline February 2020 28 February – Authorities confirm the first case of coronavirus in Wales, an individual who recently returned from holiday in Italy.
March 2020 11 March – Wales has its first case of "community transmission", when a patient in Caerphilly with no travel history tests positive for COVID-19. 12 March – A patient at Wrexham Maelor Hospital tests positive for COVID-19 – the first case in North Wales. 13 March – The Welsh Government's Health Minister Vaughan Gething announces that all non-urgent outpatient appointments and operations will be suspended at hospitals in Wales, in a bid to delay the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 17 March – The National Assembly for Wales is closed to the public. 23 March – Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, was advised to impose the first stay at home lockdown.Response to Freedom of Information request in private correspondence, May 2022 (ATISN 16271). With the UK death toll hitting 335 deaths and 16 in Wales, Boris Johnson announced a nationwide 'Stay at Home' order would come into effect as of midnight and it would be reviewed every 3 weeks. This would become known as the UK lockdown.
April 2020 1 April – The National Assembly for Wales reconvenes using Zoom for a virtual emergency Senedd meeting. Multinational pharmaceutical company Roche denies the existence of a deal to supply Wales with COVID-19 tests after First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething blame the collapse of a deal for a shortage of testing kits. 8 April – Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, confirms the Welsh Government will extend the lockdown beyond the initial three-week period for Wales. 11 April – Occupancy of critical care beds in England peaks at around 58% of capacity. Occupancy in the month of April for Scotland and Wales will only briefly exceed 40%, while Northern Ireland reported a peak of 51% early in the month. 12 April – The temporary Dragon's Heart Hospital opens at Cardiff's Principality Stadium to admit its first patients. 17 April – Later analysis of death registrations (all causes) in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics finds the highest total this week, which at 21,805 is 207% of the five-year average for the same week. COVID-19 is mentioned in 8,730 cases. 20 April – Prof Dame Angela Maclean, the UK's deputy chief scientific adviser, says the number of confirmed cases is "flattening out". The number of people in hospital for COVID-19 has begun to fall in Scotland, Wales and every region of England, with significant falls in London and the Midlands. 21 April – Figures released by the Office for National Statistics indicate deaths in England and Wales have reached a twenty year high, with 18,500 deaths from all causes in the week up to 10 April, about 8,000 more than the average for that time of year. The deaths include those in care homes, where the 1,043 year-to-date deaths related to COVID-19 is a jump from the 217 reported a week ago. 22 April – Doctors in Wales have written a joint letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford urging him to ban the use of second homes during the outbreak. 28 April – Figures from the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 17 April show 22,351 deaths registered in England and Wales, nearly double the five-year average and the highest weekly total since comparable records began in 1993. The ONS report indicates a third of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales are occurring in care homes, with 2,000 recorded in the week ending 17 April, and the number of deaths from all causes in care homes is almost three times the number recorded three weeks ago.
May 2020 5 May – Figures from the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 24 April show 21,997 deaths from all causes registered in England and Wales; this is a decrease of 354 from the previous week but still nearly twice the five-year average for the time of year. Deaths per week in hospital are falling while those in care homes continue to increase, and for the year to 24 April, 5,890 deaths in care homes involved COVID-19. 8 May – Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, extends the lockdown restrictions for a further three weeks but with some minor changes. People are allowed to exercise outside more than once a day and councils can plan for the reopening of libraries and tips. Some garden centres can also reopen. 10 May – The UK government updates its coronavirus message from "stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives" to "stay alert, control the virus, save lives". The Opposition Labour Party expresses concern the slogan could be confusing, and leaders of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland say they will keep the original slogan. 12 May – Figures released by the Office for National Statistics and the devolved administrations indicate the death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 40,000 – including almost 11,000 care home residents – although week-by-week numbers continue to fall. In care homes in England and Wales, the year-to-date COVID-19 total reaches 8,312 but the weekly number (to 1 May) shows a decrease for the first time since the start of the pandemic. 15 May – A report on deaths in care homes in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics finds 9,039 deaths between 2 March and 1 May, and a further 3,444 deaths of residents in hospital. In this period, COVID-19 was involved in 27% of all deaths of care home residents. Since the last week of March, non-COVID deaths have been higher than previous years; deaths of residents from all causes peaked around 14 April. First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford outlines a "traffic lights" route out of lockdown for Wales, which he describes as being "in the red zone", but does not give any dates for when the restrictions will be eased. 18 May – Jury trials resume at a handful of courts in England and Wales, having been suspended since the beginning of the lockdown restrictions. 29 May – *Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, announces an easing of the lockdown restrictions for Wales from Monday 1 June, that will allow the members of two households to meet up outdoors. Non-essential retailers are urged to use the next three weeks to "prepare safeguarding". 31 May – Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething announces an easing of lockdown rules for those shielding at home in Wales. From 1 June they may meet up outside with people from another household, but must maintain social distancing rules and must not go into another person's home.
June 2020 3 June – Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams announces that all schools in Wales will reopen from 29 June. They will be open for all pupils, but only a third of students will be in school at any one time. The summer term is also extended by a week. 9 June – Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething announces that people in Wales will be asked to wear three-layer face covering in situations where social distancing is not possible, such as on public transport. 13 June – The 2020 Abergavenny Food Festival, Wales's largest food festival scheduled for September, is cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic. 18 June – Workers at a chicken processing plant in Llangefni, Anglesey are required to go into self-isolation following an outbreak of COVID-19 that has affected more than 100 people. The factory supplies hospitals, shops and restaurants. 19 June – The Welsh Government sets out its programme for easing lockdown restrictions, beginning on 22 June with measures that include allowing retailers to reopen and lifting restrictions on outdoor sports. Travel restrictions to, from and around Wales are to be lifted from 6 July. 21 June – The number of workers at an Anglesey chicken factory who have tested positive for COVID-19 rises to 158. 22 June – After the UK Government updates its advice to people who are shielding in England, the Welsh Government issues a statement to say that shielding advice has not changed in Wales, where it is in place until 16 August. The Welsh Government lifts its restrictions on wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, allowing them to take place again, but the ban on social gatherings remains. The Welsh Government confirms that 1,097 hospital patients were discharged to care homes without a coronavirus test at the beginning of lockdown. 24 June – First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford announces that the two-metre social distancing rule will stay in place in Wales, describing it as the "safe way to behave". 28 June – Opposition parties in Wales express their concern after figures indicate the turnaround speed of COVID-19 tests has slowed in the country. Around half of tests are coming back within 24 hours, a decrease on 68% at the end of April. 29 June – The Welsh Government announces that two households in Wales can form what is termed an "extended household" from 6 July, enabling them to meet up indoors and stay overnight; the extended household measure also includes people who are shielding. Schools reopen in Wales. The families of workers at a meat processing plant in Merthyr Tydfil are told to self-isolate after 101 people associated with the factory tested positive for COVID-19.
July 2020 2 July – The Welsh Government announces that pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants can open outdoors from 13 July. 3 July – First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford announced the lifting of the five-mile "stay local" travel restrictions for Wales from 6 July. From this date outdoor attractions were permitted to reopen, and two households permitted to meet up indoors. 6 July – No new deaths are reported for Wales for the most recent 24-hour period. Wales lifts its "stay local" restrictions, meaning there are no limits on travel. 9 July – All state schools in Wales will reopen in September, Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirms. Schools will have limited social distancing for groups of pupils, but adults will have to maintain social distance regulations. Parents whose children do not attend school will not face fines. An extra 900 teaching posts are to be created in Wales to help pupils catch up on their studies. 10 July – Figures released by the National Police Chiefs' Council show that no fines were issued in England and Wales for breach of quarantine rules during the first two weeks after their introduction, while ten people were fined for not wearing face coverings on public transport in the two weeks preceding 22 June. For the second time in under a week no new deaths are reported for Wales in the most recent 24-hour period. First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford announces that pubs, cafes, restaurants and bars in Wales can reopen indoors from 3 August. 11 July – As some holiday homes reopen in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford says it is "absolutely safe" to visit the country again. 13 July – Hairdressers and barbers reopen in Wales. Wales has experienced two consecutive days without any new coronavirus deaths, and four in total since 6 July. The First Minister of Wales announces that the wearing of face coverings will become compulsory on public transport in Wales from 27 July. 14 July – Wales's Finance Minister Rebecca Evans announces that the threshold on Land Transaction Tax on property sales will be raised from £180,000 to £250,000 from 27 July until March 2021. It means the majority of property sales in Wales will be exempted from the tax during this period. Wales's largest Accident and Emergency unit at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, tells non-emergency patients to call ahead before attending A&E; they will be assessed remotely and given an appointment time. 15 July –