We are saying goodbye as we end our live page coverage of coronavirus in Wales on Thursday.

Here's a round-up of today's developments:

• There have been no new deaths reported involving coronavirus by Public Health Wales on Thursday - and the daily average is below one for the last week
• The chief medical officer in Wales has signalled a pause to shielding restrictions for 130,000 people from 16 August
• The number of people out of work in Wales has fallen slightly, according to new figures, but nearly a third of the Welsh workforce is now on furlough

Labour MP for the Rhondda Chris Bryant says he has written to the Speaker asking for Westminster Hall debates to be reinstated in full from September.

Westminster Hall debates are an opportunity for MPs to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister.

No debates have been heard there since March.

"It’s not good enough waiting to October," he said.

Image source, Reuters

Dr Frank Atherton was again asked about his views on face masks at the daily coronavirus breaching.

The chief medical officer for Wales said the "better to be safe than sorry argument" for face coverings was a "difficult one" because "there are potential negative sides" to the wearing of them.

"If people wear face coverings and they use that as a reason not to maintain social distancing, that would have a negative effect," he said.

"If people use face coverings and they continue to touch their face, to fiddle with them or to move them from pocket to face, that also has a negative consequence."

He said if people were "talking very loudly" because they have a face covering on that could also "increase the risk of transmission potentially".

Dr Atherton said there was also the "equity concern" about fairness.

"We've had a lot of lobbying from people, particularly in the deaf community, who would see that the mandatory use of face coverings, when it's not necessary, as an undue restriction on their particular freedoms," he said.

"I have some sympathy with them when viral transmission is very low."

No new deaths of people with coronavirus have been reported in Wales, with the total remaining at 1,545.

PHW said there were 18 new cases reported, meaning 16,871 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

It was "unlikely" that a spike in deaths in Ceredigion at the start of the year could have involved coronavirus but it was "something that we can certainly be looking into", the chief medical officer for Wales has said.

In the first 17 weeks of the year, 342 deaths were registered, according to Office for National Statistics figures, which is 22% more than the five-year average.

Dr Frank Atherton said he had "heard broadly about this" but not "seen any detail at all" and "death rates do vary".

"There are fluctuations and statistical changes that happen, and it may be a part of that," he said.

"I've heard questions about 'could there have been coronavirus earlier than Christmas?', for example.

"I think that's extremely unlikely, that coronavirus was in Ceredigion before it was in Wuhan."

He said it was "unlikely to be a coronavirus effect" but he said the director of public health in the county "will be looking at that with her colleagues in the health board and across the local authority".

"So that's something that we can certainly be looking into," he said.

A public inquiry into the Welsh Government's response to the coronavirus "is the right way to learn the lessons" needed for the future, the chief medical officer for Wales said.

Dr Frank Atherton told the daily news conference: "This has been a one in 100 year incident".

He added: "I think we do need a public inquiry both to look at what's happened what decisions were made, how they were made.

"But also to learn the lessons for anything that comes in the future really, so I do support the idea of a public inquiry."

But Dr Atherton said he was concerned about the timing as the virus had not stopped spreading yet.

"The timing is so problematic - we're not out of the woods yet and so many of the people who will be responding to that public inquiry are actually still extraordinarily busy in terms of managing the current situation," he said.

"So I think what I understood the prime minister to say was that we will have one at some point in the near future.

"But I think a public inquiry in due course is the right way to learn the lessons that we need to learn".

Dr Frank Atherton has apologised to people waiting for non-emergency NHS treatment during the coronavirus pandemic.

The chief medical officer said he "understood the frustrations" of people waiting for operations on hips and knees, for example.

He said he wanted to apologise to those who are waiting.

Dr Atherton said the pandemic meant it was difficult to properly restart NHS services.

He said the NHS was carrying out "less procedures than we would want to see" but work was being done on "cautiously re-opening" the service.

Image source, Getty Images

The policy of so-called "social bubbles" is being kept under review in Wales

The chief medical officer said Wales had gone “a little slower” than Scotland and England in changing the policy, but said it was because of a “cautious” approach being taken here.

Currently in Wales, one household is allowed to meet indoors with another household to form an extended household.

People can only be in one extended household, which cannot be changed once arranged.

Dr Frank Atherton said: “It's something we keep under review as part of the 21 day lockdown review, so we will certainly be looking at that."

The Welsh Government may have to reinstate “some form” of shielding in the future, if the virus increases, the chief medical officer for Wales has warned.

Dr Frank Atherton said the advice will be put on pause from 16 August, provided the virus continues to decline, but would be reinstated if transmission rates increased in the future.

Currently the so-called R-number - the transmission rate - continues to be less than one, meaning that the virus is in decline.

Dr Atherton said 4,000 people were being tested a day but the rate of positive tests as the moment is 0.5%.

He said the NHS in Wales would keep an up-to-date list of those who have been shielding, because “we just don't know what's round the corner”.

He said: “It may be - we hope not to - but it maybe we may have to reinstitute some form of shielding in the future

"If we do that it may not be exactly the same group, there’s a piece of work going on at a UK level to do a better risk assessment so that we have a clearer idea of who really will benefit,” he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Wales must “hope for the best and plan for the worst”, amid suggestions that there could be a second wave of Covid-19 this winter.

Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton said there were a number of scenarios which might happen but NHS Wales was assuming there would be a second spike, in its preparations.

"It could be that we are fortunate and we have continued low levels of transmission in Wales; I expect there to be little flare ups here and there," he told the daily news briefing.

"We've seen some of those already in north Wales and we've been able to identify them through the Test,Trace,Protect (TTP) programme and to stamp on them and that's ongoing.”

On the question of a second wave being triggered by the workforce and schools returning after the summer break, Dr Atherton added: “The circumstances for viral transmission are more favourable when the workforce is back at work, when children are going back to school.

"So the more social mixing we have, at that time, towards the late summer or into early autumn the greater the risk of viral resurgence.”

He added: “We need to plan for that. We do need to think very carefully about that, and in fact the NHS is working on the assumption that there will be a second spike in viral transmission. We hope that may not be the case but we have to plan for that.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Frank Atherton said he would not describe himself as a sceptic on the benefits of face coverings.

He told the daily coronavirus news briefing: "Everybody who's looked at the evidence has basically concluded that there is weak evidence of a small effect" on coronavirus transmission.

Answering questions from journalists, Dr Atherton said Wales had perhaps set a "higher bar" than other countries "in terms of asking the questions about whether face coverings would be both necessary and proportionate".

He said the virus "really is transmitting in very low amounts now in Wales" so the "necessity is questionable".

Three-layer face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in Wales from 27 July.

Wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets in England is to become compulsory from 24 July, bringing it into line with Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Face coverings are not a substitute for maintaining a 2m distance and good hygiene, Dr Frank Atherton has insisted.

The chief medical officer for Wales said: "I want to be clear that maintaining a 2m distance, avoiding touching surfaces and your face and washing your hands often are the most effective measures you can take to protect yourself from coronavirus.

"Face coverings are not a substitute for these measures.

"We have been advising for some time that in some circumstances, in line with WHO guidance, particularly in crowded areas, people may want to wear a three-layer, non-medical face covering.

"We are now moving to a position where it will be compulsory for people to wear a face covering when travelling on buses, trains and in taxis from 27 July".

Dr Atherton said this was because it was not always possible for 2m social distancing to be maintained on public transport.

The chief medical officer in Wales has signalled a pause to shielding restrictions for 130,000 people from 16 August.

If coronavirus continues to decline people in the shielding group will be able go shopping, return to work or go back to school, Dr Frank Atherton told the Welsh Government's daily briefing.

"There are about 130,000 people in the shielding group in Wales – and I have been advising them to take a series of shielding measures to protect their health, until August 16.

"If we see the virus continuing to decline, the advice to shield will be paused.

"This will mean from August 16, everyone who is shielding will be able to go out to shop, return to work if their workplace is Covid-secure. If not they should work from home and return to school."

He said it was still very important that people in the shielding group continued to pay strict attention to physical distancing and good hand hygiene.

Dr Atherton said a pause to shielding meant that support for the group would also change.

" The weekly food box scheme will come to an end when shielding stops after 16 August but supermarkets will continue to offer priority delivery slots for this group," he said.

"The prescription delivery service will remain in place until 30 September for those who need it."

He said he would be writing to everyone in the shielding group.

The Welsh Government's daily coronavirus briefing is due to start at 12:30 BST.

Today it is being led by Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton.

We'll give you the main updates here - you can also watch the proceedings on BBC One Wales, via the BBC iPlayer and via the Coronavirus Daily Update video link above.

Comedians have called for their work to be recognised as an art form so the industry can qualify for a slice of a bailout package.

Live comedy has been described as being on the brink of collapse as a result of the pandemic.

Comedy rarely qualifies for art grants and performers say it now needs to be considered equally.

The Welsh Government said it is seeking to meet the needs of the arts sector.

Comedian Mike Bubbins said the industry is often left "scraps from the table" when it comes to funding.

Image source, Mike Bubbins

It may look like any other exercise class but everyone here has a shared experience - they are all in recovery from Covid-19.

Every one of them was seriously ill with the virus with some almost dying.

Arranged by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, they meet at Newport's Velodrome for 90-minute sessions that include activities such as treadmills, exercise bikes, punch-bags and pilates.

One of those taking part is Taekwondo champion Lewis Barton, 30.

He believes if it had not been for his fitness before having the virus, he would not have survived. Now hopes to eventually compete in world championships again.

The number of people out of work in Wales has fallen slightly, according to new figures, but nearly a third of the Welsh workforce is now on furlough.

There are now 41,000 across Wales unemployed, suggests the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is an unemployment rate of 2.7% compared to the UK-wide rate of 3.9% for the period of March to May.

However, figures from the ONS also show 378,000 people are on the UK's furlough job retention scheme.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in Gwynedd has the second highest furlough take-up in the UK at 40%.

Better public transport is needed to provide an alternative to the scrapped M4 relief road, a panel of experts says.

This could even include charging people to use the motorway, according to the South East Wales Transport Commission.

But better alternatives such as new rail lines would need to be in place first, a report prepared to look at alternatives to the project has said.

It also highlighted that people may be reluctant to use crowded public transport after the coronavirus pandemic and many may continue to work from home - so any long term predictions about traffic levels are not possible.

The experts will issue a final report with specific recommendations for the Welsh Government by the end of the year.

Hello and welcome to today’s live page, bringing you all the latest on the coronavirus in Wales.

Here’s a quick recap on the main developments from yesterday:

• Driving lessons will resume in Wales from 27 July, the first minister has confirmed and will be done "safely for everyone concerned".
• A drop in the speed of coronavirus tests coming back to Wales was due to a "series of difficulties" at one laboratory in England
• Two more deaths were reported by Public Health Wales on Wednesday but the daily average is now less than one
• Wales' new testing strategy has been unveiled, with ministers promising that anyone who needs a test can access one
• New parents have been left socially isolated during lockdown and unaware of how to get help, a charity has claimed