WALES will remain in Alert Level Four coronavirus lockdown until at least January 29 following a review, says First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Unless there is a significant reduction in cases of coronavirus before that date - when the next three-weekly review of the regulations will taker place - school and college students will continue to learn online until the February half-term holiday.

And supermarkets and other retailers deemed essential and allowed to remain open, may be ordered to introduce extra measures to protect staff and shoppers.

Following a formal review of the Alert Level Four lockdown restrictions which were introduced at midnight on December 19, all the measures that came into force at that time will remain in place.

This means non-essential retail, hospitality venues, licensed premises and leisure facilities will remain closed.

The measures will be strengthened to close all showrooms, though they will still be able to operate click and collect arrangements.

The Welsh Government is reviewing whether major supermarkets and retailers need to put additional measures in place to protect people in store - and ministers are also looking at what else employers might need to do to protect people in the workplace, and to support people to work from home.

The lockdown restrictions are being strengthened in these key areas to prevent the new and highly infectious strain of coronavirus spreading from person to person in the shops and workplaces which remain open.

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Cases of coronavirus remain very high in Wales and the new variant strain of the virus, first identified in parts of Wales, London and south east England before Christmas, now has a firm foothold in north Wales.

Confirming the continuation of Alert Level Four restrictions, Mr Drakeford said everyone must stay at home to save lives, and added: “The coronavirus pandemic has reached a significant point. Cases in Wales remain very high and our NHS is under real and sustained pressure.