Detailed planning underway for national lockdown in Wales

Mr Drakeford told Sky News that "detailed planning" was under way to establish what measures would be put in place during a circuit-breaker, how long it would last for, how schools would be treated and how to come out of it.

"We want to act now in order to prevent the worst from happening, to give us a better chance of getting through the rest of the autumn and the winter," said the first minister.

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"If a circuit breaker is the right way to do it then that is what we will do and we're very actively talking about and preparing for that should it be necessary."

This comes after Mr Drakeford wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as well as the First Minister of Scotland and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, asking to convene a further emergency meeting of COBRA specifically to discuss a four-nation approach to circuit-breaker measures.

"I don't think it is sensible for the UK Government to dismiss that idea, they ought to sit down with everybody, look at it seriously and then make a proper decision," Mr Drakeford said.

The Prime Minister has faced calls to bring in a 'circuit-breaker' lockdown from members of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

And this morning, the PA news agency reported ministers in Northern Ireland had set out plans for a four-week lockdown, which includes closing schools for two weeks.