Two years on from the first cases of coronavirus being discovered, many countries around the world are starting to reduce the length of time people have to isolate should they test positive.
While most started out with the World Health Organisation's recommended 14-day isolation period, some governments have now lowered it to just five days to minimise Covid-19's impact on people's social, economic and educational lives.
Here, we look at the rules in place in different countries across the globe and assess how they differ from the stance taken in Wales and the rest of the UK.
Wales and rest of the UK
In Wales, the coronavirus infection rate has never been higher due to the infectious Omicron variant.
In just a matter of days the number of positive cases per 100,000 population has almost trebled from 502.4 (December 7-13) to 1,415.4 (December 21-27). You can read the latest bulletin here.
Despite these worrying statistics, the Welsh Government has decided to reduce the self-isolation period from 10 to seven days on the basis of two negative lateral flow tests taken on days six and seven.
This rule change was initially meant to be introduced on January 5, but it came into force on December 31 instead.
"We are bringing the change forward because the balance of harms has changed and the rising number of cases has begun to have an impact on the number of people, in critical jobs, who are excluded from the workplace because of self-isolation," said First Minister Mark Drakeford.
The same self-isolation rules apply in both England and Northern Ireland, however in Scotland the 10-day limit is still in force.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted calls for the isolation period to be cut to five days in England until more evidence is available about the effects of the recent move from 10 to seven days.
United States
The United States has recently changed its Covid isolation rules to allow patients who are asymptomatic out of isolation after five days, while wearing masks for a further five days.
The US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the guidance comes with growing evidence that Covid-19 is most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms appear.
The decision was made amid a surge of cases of the Omicron variant which, like most countries, is threatening to put pressure on hospitals and businesses.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky said: "Not all of those cases are going to be severe. In fact many are going to be asymptomatic.
"We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science."
US President Joe Biden stressed the Omicron variant would not have the same impact as the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020 or the Delta surge last year.
"Omicron is a source of concern, but it should not be a source of panic," he said.
France
From Monday, January 3, people in France who test positive will only have to self-isolate for seven days instead of 10 - and can be cut down to five days with a negative test result.
This rule change was confirmed by Health Minister Olivier Véran as France became the sixth country in the world to surpass 10 million total recorded cases of Covid-19.
There will also be no quarantine for fully-inoculated individuals who have a close contact test positive. But those who are not vaccinated and who test positive "will have to self-isolate for 10 days, with a possibility to come out of isolation after seven days under the same terms", Veran said.
The French Ministry of Health said the changes in rules respond to the need "to take into account the extremely rapid evolution of the spread of the Omicron variant in France".
It said the decision to reduce isolation periods was “aimed at ensuring the virus is controlled while maintaining socioeconomic life".
Germany
While many countries have opted to reduce their isolation rules, Germany is not one of them.
Currently anyone who has contracted Omicron - or been in contact with someone who has - whether they be vaccinated or unvaccinated, must quarantine for 14 days.
However politicians and health experts in Germany are calling for the mandatory quarantine period to be shortened to minimise staff shortages caused by people self-isolating.
Previously, the state premier of Bavaria, Markus Söder, spoke out in favour of shortening the quarantine period and said: "Of course we have to review the current quarantine rules. We can't just paralyse the whole country from one day to the next in a rapidly growing epidemic."
Australia
Many parts of Australia have seen rapid increases in their Covid infection rates.
On Friday, New South Wales set a new pandemic record of 21,151 new cases, however hospitalisation rates have remained relatively steady.
Those who test positive, as well as their close contacts, must isolate for seven days or 10 in Southern Australia. This is regardless of whether the close contacts test negative or not.
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory implemented new rules on New Year's Eve which created a new definition of a close contact.
In those jurisdictions, a close contact will only cover household or intimate contacts who spent more than four hours with a positive case.
Elsewhere in the world
In Japan the isolation period remains at 10 days, while in New Zealand it is 10 days if the person is fully vaccinated (including 72 hours free of symptoms) but 14 days if they are unvaccinated (again including 72 hours free of symptoms).
Jordan and Brazil are following the World Health Organisation's recommended 14-day isolation period.
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