Covid: Omicron cases in Wales increase by 22 to 181

First Minister Mark Drakeford said more decisions on Covid rules would be made on Monday

Another 22 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been recorded in Wales, taking the total to 181.

Public Health Wales (PHW) has been warning of an expected "rapid increase" in cases, prompting Covid restrictions to be tightened.

Social distancing is being reintroduced in shops and workplaces, and nightclubs will shut after 26 December.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said more decisions on rules would be made on Monday regarding sports events.

Omicron continues to spread across the UK - and is thought to now be the dominant variant in England and Scotland, replacing Delta.

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Of the new cases, nine were recorded in the Swansea Bay University Health Board and six in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board which covers north Wales.

There have also been three more in the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area, with the others in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Powys Teaching Health Board areas.

Following the declaration of a major incident in London due to the rapid spread of the Omicron cases there, Dr Ami Jones - an intensive care consultant with the Aneurin Bevan health board - tweeted asking people not to think it won't happen "over the bridge in Wales".

She said it was not the Covid patients in hospitals in Wales that were the main problem at the moment, but "hospital and emergency service staff are catching it and having to self isolate so staffing levels are less safe".

"Sure you think you're not going to need hospital due to Covid but what if you have a heart attack or need an emergency operation or need treatment for a car accident and almost all the hospital staff are off sick with Covid?"

PHW has increased lab capacity in readiness for sequencing more cases of Omicron.

PHW consultant epidemiologist Dr Christopher Williams said: "As we have indicated previously, a rapid increase over the coming days and weeks is expected."

NHS Wales has been ramping up its booster vaccination programme to offer all eligible adults a booster jab by the end of the year.

On Friday, the UK saw another record number of daily Covid cases for the third day in a row, with more than 93,000 infections announced.

Since then, 10,059 new UK Omicron cases have been found - but the true numbers are likely to be far higher.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that a meeting of the UK government's emergency committee Cobra will be held over the weekend with representatives from the UK's four nations.