The Church in Wales says a “cautious approach” is essential after places of worship were cleared to reopen for private prayer by individuals or household groups from Monday.

However, all churches will remain closed for services, including weddings, funerals and baptisms.

A statement from the Church in Wales’ bishops said: “What has been announced is the giving of permission.

"There is no requirement, from Welsh Government or the Bishops of the Church in Wales, to reopen at this time.

“Our primary concern must be the health and wellbeing of our clergy, staff, volunteers and visitors.”

The Church in Wales said it had worked with the Welsh Government on safety measures, including social distancing and hygiene protocols, while churches must complete a Covid-19 risk assessment before reopening.

As a result not all churches will be able to reopen at this time, with the availability of volunteers to monitor social distancing and ensure churches are kept clean a significant factor.

The Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, said: “We are grateful for the permission which has been given to open churches for private prayer where it is both safe and practical to do so.

“This will bring spiritual comfort and support to many people, particularly in these tense and anxious days. While we are still unable to hold services, it is a hopeful sign that we are coming though this pandemic.”

Image source, Alys Tomlinson

The opposition parties in Wales have broadly supported today's announcement by the first minister on the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies said Mark Drakeford had "woken up" to his party's calls for "a safe and sensible approach to lifting the lockdown", but claimed the easing "could still have gone further".

“The cruel five-mile rule - a rule that benefits those in the large urban centres only – will be lifted in a fortnight. Why not now?" Mr Davies asked.

Plaid Cymru called for longer-term planning and greater support for the tourism industry.

Health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “I still urge the government to plan further ahead... people and businesses need to have a longer-term view", while his Senedd colleague Helen Mary Jones added that the tourism sector "has still lost two thirds of its season and will still need long-term support to survive the winter".

Mark Reckless, who leads the Brexit Party in the Senedd, said: "We welcome some belated reduction in restrictions in Wales, but believe it would be better to lift them all and trust people’s judgement and common sense."

Four more people with coronavirus are confirmed to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,475.

Public Health Wales (PHW) figures also showed there were 31 new cases reported, meaning 15,001 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

To date, 118,908 individuals have been tested for coronavirus in Wales, with 103,905 testing negative.

A total of 146,914 tests have been carried out, as some people have been tested more than once.

During lockdown many of us may have found ourselves exploring what's on our doorsteps more.

Now Bridgend council is asking residents if the way they use parks and gardens has changed during the regulations.

Image source, Getty Images

Pubs and restaurants will not be opening at the same time as some tourist accommodation in Wales because "there's only so much headroom we have", the first minister says.

From 13 July, visitors will be able to stay in self-contained places such as cottages and static caravans.

Mark Drakeford said he believed people would still come to stay even if the hospitality sector remains shut.

He said there were "good reasons for visiting the tourism economy in Wales" that were "beyond hospitality".

But he added the Welsh Government would use the next three weeks to “talk carefully” with the hospitality industry.

“If we do more than we’ve announced today, the risk that the virus would spread again in Wales would be significant," he insisted.

"And that’s why we’ve gone to the maximum of our capacity and that does not include being able to say to hospitality that we are yet in a position where they are able to reopen."

Image source, PA Media

Football's Championship play-off final - a game both Cardiff City and Swansea City hope to play in - will take place behind closed doors at Wembley on Tuesday, 4 August.

Cardiff and Swansea return to Championship action this weekend after more than three months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Both clubs are hoping to reach the end-of-season play-offs.

The English Football League has today announced when they will take place, with two-legged semi-finals to take place between 26-30 July.

Cardiff and Swansea each have nine regular-season games to play, with the last of those on 22 July.

When asked about the turnaround times for coronavirus testing, Wales' first minister admitted “we definitely accept we need to do more and we need to do better".

However, Mark Drakeford added: "The system is still managing to process nine out of 10 tests within 48 hours despite the fact that many more tests are being done every week."

The government's scientific advisers say the "most successful" contact-tracing systems "require test results within 24 hours", but official statistics show it is taking longer to process Covid-19 tests.

"People within the system are working as hard as they can to process tests as fast as they can,” Mr Drakeford said, adding that a series of measures were being put in place to improve the speed of test turnaround.

“That will, I feel confident, lead to improvement in the turnaround times, even while we go on extending the number of tests available.”

An announcement on creating "bubbles" with other households in Wales could be made within three weeks.

First Minister Mark Drakeford told today’s coronavirus briefing it was not possible to make an announcement on “extended households” as part of this review “alongside everything else”.

In England and Northern Ireland, the support bubbles were introduced last week.

It allows adults who live alone to visit someone else's home and even be allowed to stay overnight.

Mr Drakeford said the issue was still being considered in Wales.

"Next week we will begin to get that advice and we will return to that issue. We don’t have to wait for three weeks to make a change," he added.

"There are a number of issues which we are going to concentrate on from the start of next week and ‘bubbling’ or extended households is one of them.”

Image source, Getty Images

Lockdown enforcement arrangements including fines remain in place in Wales until 6 July, the first minister has said.

Mark Drakeford said the five-mile limit on movement "is advice and not a rule", but stressed that staying local was still part of the regulations and "people can still be fined for breaching it".

"All the enforcement arrangements including fines of course do remain in place because these are regulations in Wales. 'Stay local' is not advice, it is a requirement," he said.

"How do you know what is local? Well, the five-mile distance is a rule of thumb, that's not in the regulations - that is guidance for people to get a sense of what staying local might mean."

Image source, Getty Images

Quizzed over the issues of the "Test, Trace, Protect" strategy in Wales, Mark Drakeford said he accepted "we need to more and we need to do better".

The first minister said the “system is still managing to process 9 out of 10 tests within 48 hours despite the fact that many more tests are being done every week".

The government's scientific advisers say the "most successful" contact tracing systems "require test results within 24 hours", external.

But official statistics show it’s taking longer to process Covid-19 tests.

Speaking at today’s briefing, Mr Drakeford said people within the system "are working as hard as they can to process tests as fast as they can”.

He said a series of measures were being put in place to improve the speed of test turnaround.

“That will, I feel confident, lead to improvement in the turnaround times, even while we go on extending the number of tests available," he added.

Mark Drakeford said the stay local travel advice must remain in place for two more weeks because "communities who have seen very few visitors will have to be prepared to see visitors again".

Answering questions from journalists at the Welsh Government's daily news conference, the first minister said those communities need to prepare "safely without creating a different sort of public health difficulty".

"Simple things like public toilets will need to be reopened in our visitor economy, car parks will need to be reopened, our national parks need time to prepare," Mr Drakeford said.

Image source, PA Media

A raft of changes to the lockdown restrictions are being announced, spanning the next few weeks.

Changes from Monday, 22 June:

• Non-essential retail shops can reopen
• Private prayer in places of worship, where social distancing is maintained and is not a gathering
• House viewings to take place in vacant properties
• House moves where a sale has been agreed but not yet completed
• Lifting the restrictions on outdoor sports courts but no contact or team sports will be allowed
• Non-professional elite athletes, including Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, to resume training

Stay Local rule and not generally travelling more than five miles remain in force, however, additional travel will be allowed on compassionate grounds.

"This includes seeing people at a care home or a youth offender institution – when these visits are allowed," says Welsh Government guidance.

"People who are eligible to vote in overseas elections, where voting must be done in person, will also be able to travel."

Changes from Monday, 29 June:

• Pupils will be returning to schools to "check in, catch up and prepare for summer and September"

Changes from Monday, 6 July:

• Stay local requirement will be lifted "provided conditions allow"

On 9 July, Welsh Government will consider:

• Self-contained holiday accommodation
• Personal care services, such as hairdressing and beauty, by appointment.

Discussions will also be held with the hospitality sector about the potential phased reopening of pubs, cafes and restaurants while maintaining strict social distancing

Wales is preparing for a “new normal” of life alongside coronavirus, said First Minister Mark Drakeford as he announced a series of relaxations to lockdown rules.

With cases falling and the number of deaths at their lowest point since lockdown began, Mr Drakeford said the “enormous efforts” made by the public meant there was room to reduce restrictions.

Shops will be allowed to re-open from Monday, as will outdoor sports courts where 2m social distancing can be maintained.

Private prayer will be allowed in place of worship, and the housing market can re-start.

Ministers also plan to lift the controversial "five mile" advice, which demands people "stay local".

That rule will go on 6 July, providing cases continue to fall, although visits to family members will be allowed from Monday on compassionate grounds.

The First Minister said hairdressers and self-catering holiday accommodation should begin to prepare to re-open subject to the next review on 9 July.

Discussions with pubs, restaurants and cafes were on-going, he added.

But he warned the public to remember the pandemic has not come to an end.

"People are still dying," he said.

"We have succeeded in bringing the fire of coronavirus under control but that fire is not yet out."

The First Minister Mark Drakeford will address the daily Welsh Government briefing at 12:30.

He has already signalled there will be several changes to lockdown restrictions.

Among measures being eased will be the 'stay local' rules from 6 July.

You can follow the announcements here.

A senior Welsh Tory has accused the first minster of "making up" coronavirus regulations "as he goes along".

Currently people have been told to stay in their local area- meaning you should not travel more than five miles from your home

But from Monday First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced that people will be able to visit family further away if they have concerns about their well-being.

Conservative Member of the Senedd Andrew RT Davies said there was "no scientific evidence" for the five mile guidance in the first place.

In a tweet, Mr Davies said: "Labour's First Minister is making it up as he goes along."

He added that if people were not already ignoring the limit, they would now.

Mr Davies, alongside a number of opposition politicians representing rural areas, had criticised the limit when it was brought in at the start of June, saying it was unfair on those living in more isolated areas.

A chaplain who has been giving support to paramedics and their families during the coronavirus pandemic said he considered himself their "crutch through their darkest times".

The Rev Mike Shephard, from Carmarthenshire, said having survived bowel cancer it was his way of "paying something back" to the NHS.

The 73-year-old was appointed by the Welsh Ambulance Service as its first chaplain in January to provide a "listening ear" to the 3,000 plus staff.

But the service said he had quickly become a lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Shepard said:“You’re dealing with people who have been through the most traumatic experiences, and are supporting the extended ambulance service family during times of injury, illness and bereavement.

“I consider myself an outlet for the thoughts and emotions of staff and a crutch through their darkest times; it’s actually very humbling."

Glamorgan Cricket are predicting a 44.7 percent drop in income for 2020 because of the coronavirus crisis.

The county season will not start before 1 August with crowds restricted or prohibited, while conference business at Sophia Gardens is also badly affected.

Members were told that projected income has fallen from £8.5 million to £4.7 million.

But early payments from the England & Wales Cricket Board have eased concern.

Most of the Glamorgan staff are currently receiving government furlough payments, while the club are also negotiating a stand-by loan facility with a major bank.

Image source, Getty Images

Anglesey may not be ready to reopen for visitors on 6 July, following the outbreak of coronavirus at a chicken processing plant on the island, its council leader has warned.

Nearly 60 cases of the infection have been confirmed at the 2 Sisters factory in Llangefni, with more than 200 people self-isolating.

The site has been closed for two weeks and all of the 560 workforce are being asked to get tested for the virus, with mobile testing units set-up to speed up the process.

But the council's leader has warned local lockdown measures may need to be enforced if incidents increase.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Breakfast programme, Llinos Medi said she was looking for support from the Welsh Government if that was the case.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has indicated the "stay local" restrictions will be lifted on 6 July, as long as Covid-19 infection rates continue to decline.

"It's paramount now that if there's a need for a local lockdown that Ynys Môn might not be able to open on 6 July," said Ms Medi.

"And we need Welsh Government support on this.

"Ynys Môn should open when it's safe to open and not when it's a certain date."

Roads in north and mid-Wales were quiet (again) this morning, with travel restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus still in place.

Gwent Police is appealing for information after the theft of a van being used by the NHS to deliver essential medical supplies.

The white Volkswagen Crafter, registration number CP67 DDX, was stolen at approximately 11:45 BST on 8 June on Lowlands Cresecent in Cwmbran.

It was recovered from Coed Cae Place in Pontypool at 13:00 that day and a sat nav and a mobile phone had been stolen.