Covid: No major rule changes expected in Wales

The Welsh government says it does not "anticipate making significant changes... at the moment"

Wales is unlikely to see significant changes to Covid restrictions announced by the Welsh government on Friday, BBC Wales has been told.

First Minister Mark Drakeford is due to announce whether there will be any changes to regulations.

But officials have refused to be drawn on a report claiming Mr Drakeford called for a lockdown between Christmas and New Year in a meeting.

England has moved to Plan B, which is similar to Wales' current rules.

Although there will not be major changes on Friday, it is expected ministers may now move to more regular reviews of the restrictions.

The Welsh government has been holding its reviews every three weeks.

Ministers have said Wales faces a major wave of the new Omicron variant, with a peak expected in January.

Members of the Welsh government discussed the latest situation in a cabinet meeting on Thursday, ahead of Friday's review.

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The same day, political blog Guido Fawkes published claims Mark Drakeford had called for a lockdown between Christmas and New Year during a phone call between senior UK and devolved ministers.

A Welsh government spokesman refused to be drawn on the report, saying the administration does not "comment on leaked reports from confidential discussions".

He added: "While there is increasing concern about the Omicron variant, we do not anticipate making significant changes to the existing regulations at the moment."

Most coronavirus rules were scrapped in Wales in the summer, although face coverings in most indoor spaces except pubs and restaurants remained.

People were also asked to continue to work from home, and Covid passes were introduced in many venues including cinemas and concert halls.

The Welsh Conservatives' health spokesman Russell George said: "Covid hospitalisations in Wales are at their lowest level since September and, as a country, we are now all aware of the damage restrictions can inflict on the economy, other areas of public health, and life chances.

"However it's clear the Omicron variant is growing faster than the previous Delta variant, and it's vital ministers use the days and weeks to come to gather detailed evidence on the impact this will have on public health.

"It remains our belief that restrictions should be targeted, proportionate and only introduced as a last resort to protect lives due to any rapid increase in hospitalisations and deaths."

What is the coronavirus rate in Wales?

Covid case rates in Wales stand at 507.1 per 100,000 people over seven days - continuing a slight upward trend from the end of November.

On Wednesday 15 further deaths were reported by Public Health Wales, bringing the total to 6,467.

The number of patients with confirmed Covid in hospital beds on Tuesday (302) was the lowest since the end of August.

But overall bed occupancy on 7 December stood at 90.1% - up slightly on the previous week and equalling the highest rate on record.

A total of 817 confirmed cases of Omicron have been found in the UK on Thursday, with nine in Wales, but the true number is believed to be substantially higher.

On Thursday Eluned Morgan announced plans to boost capacity for identifying the Omicron variant in Wales, and two Stereophonics gigs planned for December have been postponed.