Emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus outbreak have been passed into law.

The legislation - which gives the UK and Welsh governments new emergency powers to combat the spread of the virus and to release funds to deal with the crisis - cleared all stages in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Coronavirus Act 2020 and the Contingencies Fund Act 2020 have been granted Royal Assent, Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing announced.

The Welsh assembly, along with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland, gave its approval earlier this week.

The Welsh Government is urging the chancellor to bring forward a UK-wide scheme to guarantee the income of self-employed people.

Rishi Sunak announced last week the government would pay 80% of salary for staff who are kept on by their employer.

Plaid Cymru wants the Welsh Government to pay all self-employed people a basic income for a month.

The Welsh Government is due to make an announcement in the next few days.

"We are developing further support to respond to the specific needs of businesses, which would also help the self-employed," said a spokesman.

“We will also be making guidance available shortly about how eligible businesses can access grants of £10,000 and £25,000. We will release this much-needed funding to firms as quickly as possible.”

Sir Anthony Hopkins has been painting and playing the piano to pass time in self-imposed isolation.

The Oscar-winning Welsh film star posted a video on social media showing the art he has produced.

The 82-year-old actor, who was born in Margam, said he decided to “self-quarantine” during the covid-19 outbreak.

He has also posted a video of him playing the piano for his cat, Niblo.

Full assembly sessions will be replaced by "emergency Senedd" meetings during the coronavirus crisis and will include fewer members.

The assembly commission which runs the institution said, if required, the meetings will take place on Tuesdays.

They will include a statement by the first minister and opposition AMs will be able to ask questions.

Rules have been changed so that only four AMs are needed for assembly votes to be valid and video conferencing may be used.

Image source, Getty Images

Boris Johnson’s latest press briefing on the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has come to an end. Here’s what happened:

• The PM revealed that 405,000 people had volunteered to help the NHS in England following a call from the UK government
• He warned firms against profiteering during times of shortage and said the government might use the law to stop it
• The UK government's chief medical adviser said there was a "bottleneck" in ramping up testing amid global demand
• He said an antibody test - to see if people had had the virus - was being developed but would not be available next week
• He added the UK's modelling on the spread of the virus was based on "quite a lot of people" still having to go in to work

The prime minister says more than 400,000 people in England have volunteered to help the NHS.

Speaking at the press conference, Boris Johnson said: "In just 24 hours, 405,000 people have answered the call.

"They will be delivering medicines from pharmacies to vulnerable people and taking people home from hospital.

"They will be absolutely crucial in this fight against this virus."

Welsh Conservatives said the scheme should be extended to Wales.

The Welsh Government said people should contact their local council if they want a volunteer role.

The UK government scheme to recruit 250,000 helpers in England - who must be aged over 18 and in good health - went live on Tuesday.

By Wednesday morning, they had exceeded their target after many thousands signed up to Good Sam, the group co-ordinating the response.

Boris Johnson says any "world class health service has only limited numbers of doctors, nurses and specialist equipment", so the more people who become sick at any one time, the harder it is for the NHS to cope.

"It is vital to delay the spread," he adds. "And with your help we will slow the spread of the disease."

The PM thanks "everyone who has been following the clear rules set out on Monday", along with frontline NHS staff and public services.

Emergency legislation will today see Snowdonia National Park close.

Officials say they hope the move will ensure "unprecedented scenes" on Saturday, when people flocked to the area, will not be repeated this weekend.

The measures mean that there will be no parking or access to the most popular sites in Snowdonia, including Snowdon, Ogwen, Cadair Idris, Aran Benllyn and Aran Fawddwy.

The national park's chief executive Emyr Williams said: "Today we will be closing public access to the busiest mountain areas in co-operation with the police and local authorities.

He also encouraged local people to continue to "exercise from their doorsteps".

Image source, Snowdonia National Park Authority

The NHS in Gwent could be "following Italy" and faces being overwhelmed by a rapid increase in coronavirus cases, a senior official has warned.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, has seen 309 confirmed cases of Covid-19 - almost half the total for Wales and more than twice the number in any other area.

No explanation has been given by the Welsh Government for the "random" cluster.

Sarah Aitken, the board's director of public health, has urged people to stay at home to give the NHS "essential time" to increase capacity.

"In Gwent we are seeing a rapidly rising increase in the number of cases of coronavirus in the community, the number of people being admitted to hospital and the number of people dying of the virus," she said.

"The pattern we are seeing in Gwent is the same pattern seen in Italy where their healthcare system is now overwhelmed.

"Without a huge effort by all of us we are heading to the moments where our health service will be overwhelmed too.

"We won't have enough hospital beds for everyone who needs life-saving ventilators and intensive care.

Boris Johnson gives us the latest coronavirus advice from Downing Street here.

Image source, Getty Images

Digger manufacturer JCB has extended its shutdown at nine manufacturing plants in Wrexham, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire until at least the end of April.

Factories closed last week to shopfloor workers - but not office staff - due to an "unprecedented reduction in global demand" caused by the coronavirus.

In a statement, the company said the "extended shutdown will mean that the vast majority of JCB’s 6,500 workforce will now be asked to stop working".

The firm said it intended to make an application to the UK government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help offset the cost of its support of employees.

The government scheme pays 80% of an employee’s salary up to a maximum of £2,500 each month.

But JCB said it had not set a cap and would pay 80% of each affected employee’s pay.

Image source, Getty Images

Surfers and walkers lured to Gower are being urged to stay away by police and local residents.

All pay-and-display car parking charges in Flintshire have been suspended, the council has said.

The move is designed to stop the spread of coronavirus through people touching machines, and to assist key workers and people who need to do essential shopping.

The care sector is facing the biggest challenge in its history, according to the chairman of an industry group.

Mario Kreft of Care Forum Wales said: "We have the most vulnerable people in our community as residents in our care homes and we are seeing marvellous attempts to keep them safe.

"But we need to do more and we need to shield these vulnerable people to ensure that they can survive this terrible crisis."

Mr Kreft, who runs the Pendine Park care homes in north Wales, said governments in Cardiff and London need to make sure the industry has the resources and support to keep residents safe.

"We've tried to ramp up every possible opportunity to protect residents," he said.

"Staff have been incredible across Wales. The social care staff deserve incredible recognition for the efforts. But we have a lot more to do - this is a call for action."

Pharmacists have faced abuse from customers trying to get medicines as the coronavirus crisis continues.

Chemists are among the businesses allowed to remain open in the UK.

Elen Jones, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in Wales, told BBC Radio Wales such behaviour was not acceptable.

She said pharmacies were getting more than three times the normal number of prescriptions a day.

Image source, Getty Images

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar says the extent of the coronavirus health crisis is far more important than a pay cut by his club Northampton Saints.

The Midlands club have reduced the salaries of most higher-earning employees by 25% in line with many other English Premiership sides.

Premiership Rugby is currently suspended until 14 April.

"There are far more important things going on at the minute," Biggar told the Saints website, external.

"These are incredibly tough times for everyone at the moment - families, livelihoods, businesses, and everything else too.

"We've got to stick together and get on with it."

About 53% of businesses in Cardiff city centre fear the coronavirus outbreak will lead to their permanent closure, a survey has found.

It also found 21% - one in five - have either made redundancies already or are planning to, while 51% are concerned they will soon need to make them.

The survey was carried out by business district organisation FOR Cardiff, external, which will provide weekly updates on the economic impact on the city.

Image source, Geograph/ Colin Smith

Image source, Getty Images

Off-licences have been added to the government's list of essential UK retailers allowed to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic.

The list was updated on Wednesday, external amid increasing reports of supermarkets are selling out some beers and wines.

The move came as bicycle and car parts retailer Halfords had to defend its decision to keep shops open.

Boss Graham Stapleton said the chain had "an essential role to play in keeping the country moving".

Halfords' Autocentre garages and mobile vans remain open, with plans for "partial store coverage" across its 446 shops.

The chain drew criticism after it said it would keep some stores open after being named by the government as an "essential provider of services".

Ceredigion council said it was "extremely disappointing" that antelope had escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom.

In a statement, it said it had "lost confidence in the ability of the zoo to operate responsibly and safely".

The zoo said it was trying to round up two escaped animals, external but the council said it was told three had escaped.

In January, the zoo was served with a notice to shut its dangerous animal enclosures by the authority because a member of a firearms team must be on duty every day in case an animal escapes.

The council said: "Officers are at the scene to assess the situation.

"We would ask the public to stay away from the area, until the situation is resolved."

The zoo's animals include two lions, three lynx, and a python.