The press conference has ended and that brings an end to today's live coverage - this is what we've learned so far:

• Mark Drakeford defends the closure of nightclubs - saying it will reduce harm to younger people who are risk of contracting the Omicron variant
• Updated guidance on care homes will be published soon
• The Welsh government will be changing the law to make it clear that people must work from home wherever they can
• After 27 December there will be a return to the two-metre social distancing rule
• Financial support of up to £60m will be available to businesses "materially affected by these new restrictions"

To keep up to date with any other developments today, click here.

The owner of Potters bar and restaurant in Newport, Enzo Nigro, said Mr Drakeford’s announcement has left him on “tenterhooks” about what other restrictions may be announced next week.

“He hasn’t really said anything to help us to prepare, apart from two-metre rule.

"He hasn’t said anything about live entertainment, about track and trace or passports, people sitting at a table - nothing.

“Yet again we are on tenterhooks worrying about what is going to happen next week."

Mr Nigro said companies had cancelled Christmas parties and the uncertainty was “not fair” on businesses like his.

He said: “We have had lots of phone calls to see if we are going to be open, and if we are going to be showing live entertainment.

“But I didn’t know, and I still don’t know if we are allowed to. But I am guessing – from what he has just said – that we can. Until he springs it on us that we can’t."

The Federation of Small Businesses in Wales policy chairman Ben Francis said: "We welcome the fact that the first minister has not implemented any further restrictions in the week to Christmas which allows some flexibility for retail businesses and others to continue to trade in this vital festive period.

"We encourage people to ‘shop small’ and support these businesses in the week ahead."

The organisation also wants to know if small firms would be able to get financial help in the run-up to 27 December as the hospitality sector was facing cancelled bookings as people felt inhibited from going out.

"Funding should always be commensurate with the restrictions placed on businesses and we call on Welsh and UK governments to work together to ensure that whatever lies ahead, sufficient support will be always available for Welsh smaller businesses," added Mr Francis.

Image source, Reuters

Three times as many people have been asking to have their booster vaccination at home compared to those who requested home jabs earlier in programme, the Welsh government has said.

Mr Drakeford said: "There are a lot more people looking to have the booster at home and it is a very labour-intensive way of providing the vaccine.

"But what we have done in very recent days is quite significantly to increase the amount of money that we are providing to GPs to do home vaccinations.

"And we hope that that will mean that we will have more of their time available to do this part of the vaccination programme, because they are in many ways amongst the best suited to do it."

The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds, said support for health services was also needed.

She said NHS and care workers will be "bearing the brunt" over the next week or so.

"The Liberal Democrats have called for a 6% rise in wages to both health and care workers.

"And we do need to see the Welsh government actually committing to something that rewards our health workers because they've been outstanding.

"And, as we know, this virus is meaning that they are really on their knees both in terms of numbers but also in terms of the lack of health workers that are able to go in because they're either self isolating, or indeed, they're being affected directly.

"So I would have liked to see more and I hope that we do see more about how we're going to support our health services."

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said all governments face a "difficult balancing act" in taking these decisions.

"I think that the government has broadly got this right, in terms of a judgement call," he said.

"We're in the position in Wales, fortunately at the moment, I think we have about 5% of the population and less than 1% of the confirmed Omicron cases.

"And that allows that breathing space in the run-up to Christmas, but obviously we are facing a very, very difficult situation thereafter.

Mr Price has also called on the UK Treasury to reintroduce the furlough scheme as "hospitality is already reeling because people have been voting with their feet, 40% down at a time when those businesses were hoping that they'd be able to make up the losses that they've incurred over a very, very difficult last two years".

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said the Welsh government needed to provide “clarity” on the money being offered to support businesses.

He welcomed the £60m which has been announced as business support for the Omicron wave, but said the Welsh government had a lot more money available to help firms.

He said: "There’s £600m sitting in the Welsh government budget which is available to them to spend on Covid measures.

"It’s really important that we get some clarity about that money going forward to support businesses that affected by restrictions."

Image source, PA Media

The first minister has insisted Covid passes "have been very effective".

Mark Drakeford said the passes - which were introduced in October - "have helped a number of settings to stay open or events to take place, that otherwise might not have been possible".

But, he added, the emergence of the Omicron variant has changed the situation.

"We've seen evidence in other parts of the world at just how it spreads in those enclosed settings and what super-spreader those events can be - a single individual, able to infect very large numbers of other people at a single event," he said.

He also defended the planned closure of nightclubs to avoid the risk of Omicron spreading.

"So it's the new context that means we feel that they have to close rather than because we think passes have not been effective," said Mr Drakeford.

"If we were only dealing with Delta then I think staying open with a pass would be the path that we were on.

"Sadly, the sky has has darkened with the new variant that we know is coming our way."

Image source, Gett

The decision to close nightclubs from 27 December "is about protecting the health of people who otherwise would be putting themselves in harm's way," Mr Drakeford says.

Asked if the move punishes younger people, he replied: "If you look at London and you look to see where the most rapid growth has been in the Omicron variant, it has been people in their 20s and 30s."

He added that while the restrictions would have a varying effect on different ages groups, he was in fact "discriminating in favour of young people" saying they were more likely to go against public advice despite more young people being affected by the Omicron variant.

It is "inescapable" that a sharp increase in Omicron cases will have an impact on the delivery of Wales' public services, according to Mr Drakeford.

He said the NHS, councils, the police and other public services "are planning very hard" to put in place "whatever measures will be needed to provide a continuity of service to people here in Wales".

He added: "If this is going to spread in the way that some of the models suggest then the people we rely on to look after us in an emergency will themselves be affected by it."

"I won't disguise from anybody the concerns that were expressed there about the way in which the Omicron variant could have a major impact on the number of people available to be in the workplace."

Mr Drakeford says the Welsh government will provide financial support to nightclubs that will have to close from 27 December, but criticised the UK government for "its refusal" to reintroduce furlough.

He said a financial support package of up to £60m would be available to businesses materially affected by new restrictions.

But his ability “to provide and sustain longer-term economic support” during this new wave was "severely constrained by the current position of the UK Treasury and its refusal to open vital support schemes, such as furlough," he added.

"These schemes should be available for all nations when they are needed and not just at the point at when restrictions are introduced in England."

Mr Drakeford says updated guidance about care home visiting will be published this week.

He said the chief medical officer would also be writing to everyone on the shielding list about the steps they can take to protect themselves.

Image source, Getty Images

Mr Drakeford says the Welsh government will be changing the law so it makes it clear that people must work from home "wherever they can".

"This year a smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas," he added.

He also confirmed that new restrictions on 27 December would be introduced to help control the spread and "to prevent large numbers of people needing hospital care".

He said shops, workplaces and businesses would reopen after Christmas but with "new" protections in place.

"There will be a strengthened set of reasonable measures, which will include returning to the 2m rule for social distancing.

"This means that shops, businesses and workplaces will need to make some changes to the way they operate – putting in place extra measures, such as one-way systems and physical barriers."

First Minister Mark Drakeford says Omicron "particularly likes" big gatherings and enclosed spaces where it can easily move from person to person.

He urged people to reduce the number of people they meet "especially if you’re seeing older or more vulnerable people over Christmas".

Mr Drakeford said people should take the following measures: "Get vaccinated – and if you’ve had your booster appointment, please make this your top priority.

"If you’re going out, going Christmas shopping or visiting people – flow before you go. Take a lateral flow test. If it’s positive – then don’t go out at all.

"Meeting outdoors is better than indoors. If you’re meeting indoors make sure it’s well ventilated.

"Space out your socialising - if you seeing families and friends, don't see them all in one go."

He also reminded people not to forget about washing their hands, social distancing and wearing a face covering in public places.

The first minister says there are about 100 confirmed cases of Omicron in Wales and, because it is “easily” transmitted, there could be “large numbers” of people admitted to hospital.

"By the end of December, it will be the dominant form of the virus in the UK," Mark Drakeford said.

"This is a very fast-moving form of the virus, which is easily transmitted from person to person.

"It has spread rapidly throughout England and Scotland.

"Because of how easily Omicron is transmitted and its ability to infect large numbers of people, this could translate into large numbers of people being admitted to hospital.

"We are already seeing increases in the number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in London.

"We should be prepared for the same to happen here."

First Minister Mark Drakeford says the "vast majority" of coronavirus infections in Wales at the moment are caused by the Delta variant, but this is the "calm before the storm".

He says the Delta variant will continue to be the main cause of infections up to Christmas: "This is the form of coronavirus, which caused the large peak of cases earlier in the autumn.

"The rate remains high across Wales but it is currently stable at around 500 cases per 100,000 people.

"But this is the calm before the storm.

"We are seeing cases of Omicron increasing every day in Wales – and across the UK."