Covid vaccines: Top nine priority groups 'to get first dose by May'

Wales' top nine priority groups will have received a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of April, the first minister has said.

The over-70s, care home residents and staff, health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable have already been offered the jab.

Mark Drakeford is "confident" on vaccinating the next five groups "provided nothing gets in the way".

An updated roadmap out of lockdown will be published on Friday.

At the next lockdown review on 19 February, the government will prioritise the return of three-to-seven year olds to school, along with some older children on vocational courses, said Mr Drakeford.

Speaking on the BBC Politics Wales programme, the first minister said other changes would be "very marginal", including the possibility of allowing "the outdoors to be used a little more" and more flexibility for families.

"But the cabinet will not make those decisions until Thursday when we have the very latest information," he added.

Mr Drakeford said he hoped on Friday to be able to indicate "how we will plan" to get more children back to the classroom, possibly from the following review on 12 March.

Ministers have started "cautious" talks about Wales' tourist industry reopening in time for Easter.

Three-to-seven year olds will return to school on 22 February

The reopening of self-contained holiday accommodation is likely to be prioritised in the first instance.

Although he has not ruled it out, Mr Drakeford has suggested it is unlikely pubs and restaurants would be open at the start of April.

Travel rules

From Monday, UK residents and Irish nationals arriving in England from 33 red-list countries will have to quarantine for 10 days in hotels selected by the government.

People entering Scotland from any country by air will have to isolate in hotels.

From 04:00 GMT on Monday, people arriving in England and Scotland from red-list countries will be fined if they break their 10-day quarantine and enter Wales.

Asked whether people arriving at Cardiff Airport once commercial flights restart will have to quarantine regardless of which country they have flown from, Mr Drakeford said: "It may be that later on in March, if and when flights resume, that we will need to put those things in place.

"We will learn from the next few weeks, see what is necessary, see how the regimes are being put in place in the seven entry ports in Scotland and England, and then make a decision about what's needed here in Wales," he added.

People aged five and over arriving into Wales from abroad are already required to isolate for 10 days.

They will now also be required to undertake a Covid-19 test on the second and eighth day of their 10-day isolation period.

Failure to do so will be a criminal offence, liable to a fine, and failure to undertake both tests will also mean that the isolation period is extended to 14 days.