Summary

  • First Minister Mark Drakeford has been giving a Welsh Government update on the pandemic

  • Level Four lockdown including the closure of licensed premises and non-essential shops will remain in force for another three weeks

  • Some primary school children could begin a phased return to school from 22 February - just after half term - if Covid rates continue to fall, he says

  • People will be allowed to exercise outdoors with one other person they do not live with

  • Single people will be able to change their support bubble and stay with a different household after a 10-day gap

  1. How to watch the Welsh Government briefingpublished at 12:15 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    First Minister Mark Drakeford is about to give a Welsh Government update on the pandemic.

    You can follow proceedings live via the Coronavirus Update video link above, on BBC One Wales, the BBC iPlayer, on S4C, and on BBC Radio Wales.

    Mark Drakeford
  2. 'Less exercise and more TV' than first lockdownpublished at 12:14 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Smitha Mundasad
    News reporter

    person exercisingImage source, Getty Images

    Four out of 10 people say they are doing less exercise in this lockdown than during the first one in spring 2020, a large UK survey suggests.

    About a fifth of people say they are watching more TV, streaming more films and gaming more.

    Meanwhile a third of respondents are working more, but volunteering and time spent on hobbies has decreased.

    Scientists suggest people have found this period tougher and are more focused on coping with their lives.

    Lead researcher, Dr Daisy Fancourt, from University College London, said: "It is not surprising that the current lockdown has seen fewer people exercising than the first, taking place as it does during the winter months.

    "But this is still a cause for concern, as exercise can boost not just physical, but also mental, wellbeing.

    "The reduction in time spent on hobbies and volunteering can partially be explained by the increased time spent working," she added.

  3. Return in sight for some pupils in Walespublished at 12:13 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Some primary school pupils in Wales could return to the classroom on 22 February after the half-term break, First Minister Mark Drakeford tells BBC Breakfast.

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  4. Covid jabs in Wales pass 362,000published at 12:07 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Latest figures show that 362,253 people in Wales have received their first coronavirus vaccine jab.

    The Public Health statistics up until the end of Thursday show a 26,182 rise from the 336,071 figure for Wednesday.

    A total of 717 people have now had their two doses.

    VaccinesImage source, Getty Images
  5. Snow brings vaccinations forward in Powyspublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Covid vaccination appointments in Powys have been brought forward to Friday because of a snow warning.

    A Met Office yellow weather warning covers 15 of Wales' 22 counties from 03:00 GMT until 18:00 on Saturday.

    As a result, all appointments planned for Saturday in mass vaccination centres in Powys will be given on Friday.

    These are at Bronllys Hospital near Brecon, the Royal Welsh Showground at Llanelwedd, and Newtown Leisure Centre.

    People booked in Saturday have been urged to attend a day early.

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  6. Another 29 deaths with coronavirus in Walespublished at 11:52 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021
    Breaking

    There have been 29 more confirmed deaths of people with coronavirus in Wales, latest figures show.

    It takes the official total to 4,695 in Wales since the start of the pandemic.

    The Public Health Wales figures also show 546 new cases, meaning there have been 190,940 in Wales in total.

    Coronavirus
  7. WATCH: Lockdown lawbreakers flee salonpublished at 11:49 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    CCTV footage shows people fleeing as police raid a beauty salon suspected of breaking lockdown laws in Torfaen.

    Gwent Police officers found evidence of tanning beds in recent use and beauty treatments taking place at the premises in Cwmbran.

    The owner of Euphoria Tanning Hair and Beauty was hit with a £1,000 fine for breaking Covid regulations.

    Cwmbran Community Council chairman Anthony Bird said locals were "outraged", adding: "Something so blatant is a real slap in the face to the people that have been making proper sacrifices."

  8. New Covid vaccine shows 89% efficacy in UK trialspublished at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Fergus Walsh
    Medical editor

    NovavaxImage source, Reuters

    A new coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be 89.3% effective in large-scale UK trials.

    The Novavax jab is the first to show in trials that it is effective against the new virus variant found in the UK.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the "good news" and said the UK's medicines regulator would now assess the vaccine.

    The UK has secured 60 million doses of the jab, which will be made in Stockton-on-Tees in north east England.

    The doses are expected to be delivered in the second half of this year, if approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK government said.

    The UK has so far approved three coronavirus vaccines for emergency use - one from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, another by Pfizer and BioNTech, and a third from drug firm Moderna.

  9. Q&A: What are Wales' lockdown rules?published at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Wales is locked down and school classrooms are mostly empty.

    Here's what you need to know.

    Wales lockdown rules as of January 2021
  10. Wales' school return could start after half termpublished at 11:36 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Primary SchoolImage source, Getty Images

    Some primary school children could begin a phased return to school from 22 February - just after half term - if Covid rates continue to fall, Wales' first minister has said.

    The Welsh Government has been under pressure to set out its plans for a return to face-to-face teaching.

    Most schooling has been online while Wales has been in lockdown.

    Mark Drakeford told BBC Breakfast there was a "strong case" for having the very youngest children back in school as "they're not able to learn online and remotely" and the risk of them transmitting Covid was "the least of all".

    Later, he will also say the tough "alert level four" lockdown across Wales will remain in place for another three weeks.

  11. Hello and welcomepublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 29 January 2021

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Friday's Welsh Government update on the pandemic to be given by First Minister Mark Drakeford at 12:15 GMT.

    He'll be outlining some changes to Covid restrictions following the three-weekly review.

    The main developments so far today:

    • Level Four restrictions on the closure of licensed premises and non-essential shops will remain in force for another three weeks
    • Some primary school children could begin a phased return to school from 22 February - just after half term - if Covid rates continue to fall
    • People will be allowed to exercise outdoors with one other person they do not live with
    • Single people will be able to change their support bubble and stay with a different household after a 10-day gap
    • A new coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be 89.3% effective in large-scale UK trials

    Stay with us.