That's all from our live coverage of today's coronavirus briefing in Wales.

Here are today's main developments:

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends furlough scheme until March. Mr Sunak said the scheme would pay up to 80% of a person's wage up to £2,500 a month. He told the Commons that the government will review the policy in January
• Welsh Labour called the chancellor's announcement is "too little and too late" for Welsh firms. Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones said UK ministers had "blocked" Welsh ministers from using the two key job support schemes during Wales' current lockdown

• The four-week lockdown in England has started as people are told to stay at home and non-essential shops, pubs and gyms ordered to close
• The number of patients in hospital in Wales with coronavirus is now the highest since April as 1,344 people are being treated
• 54 of the 163 patients in critical care across Wales have Covid - and the occupancy rate is beyond Wales' usual 152-bed intensive care capacity
• A further 1,272 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of cases to 56,927. A total of 1,969 people in Wales have died with coronavirus since the start of the pandemic - with 30 new deaths reported by Public Health Wales on Thursday
• Across the UK, 25,177 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed on Wednesday, with the number of people who have tested positive reaching more than one million. Some 47, 742 people have died across the UK with Covid
• Fifteen students at Swansea University have been suspended following "serious breaches" of Covid-19 regulations, the university has said. It follows investigations into Halloween parties both on and off campus
• People should limit themselves to seeing the same one or two friends or family after 9 November, the Welsh Government has said. Advice on the Covid-19 rules that begin after the firebreak, external in Wales urges people to be "restrained"

Image source, Getty Images

The jobs furlough scheme, set up in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, will be extended until the end of March.

It provides 80% of the pay of temporarily laid-off workers. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the policy would be reviewed in January.

A further 30 people have died with coronavirus in Wales, Public Health Wales has reported today, while there have been 1,272 new cases.

Wales has now reported more than 1,000 Covid cases in 12 of the past 13 days.

There have been lots of tears from broken and exhausted staff at one of the hospitals hit hardest by the second wave of coronavirus, an intensive care doctor has said.

Dr Ceri Lynch, consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, Rhondfda Cynon Taf, fears the situation is worse than the first peak in the spring.

She spoke of the emotional toil as doctors and nurses watched patients die, and of seeing people's families "decimated" by the virus. "It doesn't feel like there's any end in sight," she said.

The Welsh Tories say the extension of the furlough scheme shows the UK government’s “commitment” to the Welsh economy.

Paul Davies, Conservative leader in the Senedd, welcomed Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement the job support scheme will be extended to the end of March.

"This will be very reassuring for a lot of Welsh workers and that again just shows the UK government’s commitment to Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom," he said.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said the UK government has "supported more than half a million livelihoods in Wales during the pandemic" and will "continue to provide an unprecedented level of financial support for Wales with an extra £5bn" so it can "plan its response in the coming months."

The UK government's furlough scheme - which pays 80% of workers' wages - was extended to cover England's four-week lockdown, weeks after the Welsh government said its request for more support during its own 17-day lockdown was rejected by the Treasury.

Commenting on the wrangling between the UK and Welsh governments over the extension if the furlough scheme in Wales, Mr Davies said it was “important that the UK and Welsh governments work together” on a “much more coordinated approach” and today’s announcement showed “that is the direction they both want to take”.

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The shadow minister for Wales has asked Chancellor Rishi Sunak why "support was not forthcoming" when he asked "just two weeks ago" for greater furlough flexibility so the Welsh government could support jobs during its firebreak.

The UK government's furlough scheme - which pays 80% of workers' wages - was extended to cover England's four-week lockdown, weeks after the Welsh government said its request for more support during its own 17-day lockdown was rejected by the Treasury.

Gerald Jones, Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, said: "Greater Manchester and other parts of the north of England received a similar response.

"Pitting parts of the UK against each other only serves to damage the integrity of the United Kingdom and I urge him to recognise the need for equity across the union."

The chancellor responded: "There is equity across the union. There is equity because everyone is treated exactly the same under these schemes.

"With regards to Wales, as I said £600m more announced today for the Welsh government bringing the total up to £5bn of funding, and I'm sure the Welsh government can use that money in the way that he suggests to support businesses if indeed that is what they want to do."

National homeschooling expectations should be given to schools from the Welsh Government as home learning remains "mixed", the children’s commissioner has said.

Sally Holland told a group of Welsh Parliament members some children felt "they had missed out on an active, proactive education from their school and I think that’s particularly difficult for children with additional learning needs".

She told the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee that "we didn’t see a consistent picture" despite "hard work by schools" and "some absolutely superb examples of provision".

“I would like to see more assertive national expectations of what a home learning offer would look like," she added.

Image source, Getty Images

The process for awarding grants to businesses will change after companies were left frustrated by an earlier round of funding.

Some businesses said they were given 36 hours to apply for phase three of the Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund.

Another £300m will be available in phase four, Economy Minister Ken Skates says.

Businesses will be able to register their interest before the fund goes live.

But Mr Skates says the money is to help businesses with their long-term plans to see out the pandemic and is not “emergency cash”.

The Welsh Government says £100m of grants in phase three were "fully subscribed" after more than 5,500 businesses applied.

Money will be awarded on the basis of applicants’ quality, Mr Skates says.

He urged companies that did not get through to keep all of their documents so they can try again.

Image source, Getty Images

A four nations approach to any future lockdowns would be the Welsh government's preference, Mr Skates says.

He says co-ordination would have been "desirable" for the current firebreak lockdown, but the Welsh government "could not wait on the UK government any longer."

"As a result of us initiating the firebreak when we did, we were able to introduce a two-week firebreak whereas in England, because there's that delay, they now have to endure four weeks of lockdown."

Wales went into a 17-day lockdown on 23 October - which will end on Monday - while England's four-week lockdown starts today.

"In the future, if any further measures were needed, I would prefer, and the government would prefer, a four nations approach.

"The First Minister Mark Drakeford has very regularly said that a regular, reliable rhythm of dialogue is needed across the four nations to achieve that consistent approach.

"I'm pleased that, certainly all of the message are, that in terms of Christmas a UK-wide approach will be negotiated, discussed and agreed and I think that's absolutely vital."

Image source, Getty Images

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed the Welsh government will be receiving £600m more in funding help to support it during the coronavirus crisis.

The UK government says it has now given Wales £5bn to "cope with the pressures of the pandemic" since March.

The chancellor said:

• They are protecting more than 68,000 jobs in Wales through the furlough scheme, down from a peak of 378,400 in June
• More than 48,000 loans worth more than £1.3bn have been offered under the Bounce Back Loans Scheme
• More than 1,600 loans worth £373m have been offered under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
• 82,000 people in Wales have benefitted from the Self Employment Income Support Scheme

Wales’ economy minister says 80% of wages should be a minimum of what workers receive from government because some people will struggle.

Ken Skates said: "Only the UK government has the fiscal firepower to be able to put together the scheme such as the Job Retention Scheme.”

The Job Retention Scheme, also known as furlough, is where the UK government pays 80% of wages of those who have no work because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The furlough scheme has today been extended until March.

“It’s a matter for the UK government as to what level the intervention level should fall at," said Mr Skates.

"I believe it is absolutely vital that as a minimum it should be at 80%. But even at 80% there will be people who will struggle.

“That’s why we have increased the level of support that’s available through the Discretionary Assistance Fund.

"The beauty of the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is that we can redistribute wealth when and where necessary.

"Now is the time for a major redistribution of wealth and power from the south-east of England to the rest of the UK.

“It’s now up to the UK government to do it, because we share that ambition and aspiration to level up."

The Welsh Government has welcomed Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement that the furlough scheme will be extended until next March.

Mr Skates says: "There is a necessity to support people for as long as it takes to get through the pandemic, so I would welcome the chancellor's announcement today.

"Of course I'll be digesting the detail of the announcement and implications for Wales, but... the greatest risk to our economic wellbeing is in doing too little and too late.

"So it's absolutely essential in the UK government... brings it forward as soon as possible."

Responding to a question of help for companies who trade mainly with England, Mr Skates said: "We're able to offer advice and support, but our business grants are designed specifically for the purpose of supporting businesses during our firebreak period."

Image source, EPA

Fifteen students at Swansea University have been suspended following "serious breaches" of Covid-19 regulations.

The university says its security teams had to intervene at several Halloween parties both on and off its Singleton campus at the weekend.

Registrar and chief operating officer Andrew Rhodes said he hoped the disciplinary action would "send a strong message" to other students.

He added: "I apologise to the community for any difficulty this has caused," say it is "very disappointing that some students have behaved in this anti-social manner".

The university's penalties for Covid breaches range from offering an apology, issuing formal written warnings or a behavioural contract, through to removal from accommodation, suspension or exclusion.

Image source, Eirian Evans / Geograph

Merthyr Tydfil now has the worst case rate for Covid-19 in the UK, with two other south Wales valleys areas also among the hardest-hit, figures show.

Meanwhile, NHS Wales figures show patient numbers in hospital with coronavirus is the highest since April.

Merthyr, with 741 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the past week, has now moved above Oldham and Blackburn in Lancashire.

Nearly a third of people in the area tested returned positive results.

There have been 447 Covid-19 cases in Merthyr over the past seven days.

Rhondda Cynon Taf also has a case rate of more than 553 per 100,000 and is ranked ninth in the UK. It has reported 1,336 new positive tests in the past week.

Blaenau Gwent - 10th hardest-hit in the UK - has seen its case rate rise to 525.3 cases per 100,000, with Sirhowy having the highest local case rate in Wales - 1,173 per 100,000 - involving 83 cases.

Mr Skates says staff administering business support grants have been subjected to "repugnant behaviour" from applicants.

"I have been made aware of a number of instances over the past week where Business Wales Helpline staff have been subjected to verbal abuse and aggressive behaviour," Mr Skates says.

“This is unacceptable. This repugnant behaviour has also been seen in the health service, in our shops and on public transport.

“Staff are doing their best in extremely difficult circumstances. We’re fighting this virus together and showing others a little courtesy and respect makes a big difference to people’s emotional and mental resilience."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme until March.

He told MPs the government’s highest priority remains the same – to “protect jobs and livelihoods”.

However, he says given the worse economic situation, he believes it is “right to go further”.

He says the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March and will pay 80% of salaries.

He says the policy will be reviewed in January “to decide whether economic circumstances are improving enough to ask employers to contribute more”.

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Skates says the demand for the Welsh Government's Business Development Grants - the second part of the government’s £300m support package – has been “exceptional, with nearly 6,000 applications received”.

He says the government had to “pause” this part of the fund on last week as the “indicative limit” had been reached.

However, he told today's government coronavirus briefing: “I want to be clear, this pause does not affect the larger element of the fund – the £200m of Lockdown Business Grants – which remain available and are designed to provide the emergency support to get businesses through this immediate firebreak."

Economy Minister Ken Skates says there is £300m of support available to help businesses through the current Covid firebreak and to prepare for post-Covid as the UK exits from the Brexit transition period.

Speaking at the Welsh Government’s briefing, Mr Skates outlined the support: “First, a £200m package of Lockdown Business Grants to help those directly affected by the immediate challenges of having to close during the firebreak.

"This will support more than 60,000 micro and small medium enterprise businesses with urgent emergency finance to help them with the fixed costs they face during the firebreak.

“Second, a £100m package of Business Development Grants to help firms prepare for the longer term challenges”.

He said this support was intended not as “day-to-day emergency finance”, but to help businesses look forward and to fund projects to prepare business for a post-Covid and post-Brexit future.

Wales' 17-day firebreak lockdown started on 23 October and will end on Monday.

An intensive care doctor at one of the hospitals hit hardest by the second wave of coronavirus says staff feel "broken and "exhausted".

Dr Ceri Lynch, consultant anaesthetist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, fears the situation is "worse" than the first peak in the spring.

The hospital - which has had 186 cases and 51 deaths linked to a major outbreak - serves patients in Rhondda Cynon Taf which had 553.8 cases per 100,000 of the population in the past week - one of the worst-affected communities in the UK.

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board, which covers Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and Bridgend, is the worst-hit area of Wales, with 495 coronavirus deaths.

People should limit themselves to seeing the same one or two friends or family after 9 November, the Welsh Government has said.

Advice on the Covid-19 rules that begin after the firebreak, external urge people to be "restrained".

Four people "is an absolute maximum" in most situations outside the home, "not a target".

New household bubbles can be formed because "the slate is effectively wiped clean", the advice says.

After the two-week firebreak, Wales-wide rules will replace the network of local lockdowns that existed before 23 October.

There is no legal limit on how far people can travel within Wales. Household bubbles with families in England are permitted, as long as that is allowed under the English rules at the time.

Image source, Getty Images