A NATIONAL ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown could be starting shortly in Wales, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

There is no clarity as yet on how the likely restrictions will affect businesses, but some pubs across Gwent have said they’ve been briefed on plans to bring in a four-week lockdown from October 26.

The date was put to the Welsh Government, who said "no decisions have been made".

The shorter national lockdown – which the government is describing as a “fire-break” – will attempt to stop the rising trajectory of cases in the country.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The measures we have put in place at both a local and a national level, with help from the public, have kept the spread of the virus under check.

"However, there is a growing consensus that we now need to introduce a different set of measures and actions to respond to the virus as it is spreading across Wales more quickly through the autumn and winter.

“We are actively considering advice from SAGE and our TAC Group.

“A ‘fire break’ set of measures to control Covid-19, similar to that described in the SAGE papers, is under consideration in Wales.

“But no decisions have been made.”

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Responding to the reports, Welsh Conservative health spokesman, Andrew RT Davies said: "I implore the first minister to think again before heading down this path.

"The decision to lockdown Wales once again will have devastating consequences - from an economic and public health perspective - and should be the last resort.

"Only yesterday, the former director of communicable diseases at Public Health Wales, Dr Roland Salmon, said a circuit-breaker is likely to fail and the Welsh Labour Government should listen carefully to his warning.

"Earlier this week, Welsh Conservatives called for the urgent resumption of shielding in Wales with a substantial package of support to ensure the financial, physical and mental well-being of those most at risk is protected.

"This should be the immediate action taken by ministers along with prioritising PPE and testing in the problem areas in Wales such as hospitals, care home, universities and meat factories."

A total of 17 areas in Wales are under local lockdown because of rising infection rates, and on Thursday Public Health Wales announced 10 more people had died with the virus in Wales – while 727 people tested positive.

Caerphilly county borough, which was the first part of Wales to go into local lockdown in September, had been working on an exit strategy, but leader of the council Philippa Marsden said talk of that is “now irrelevant because we are now likely to see a Wales-wide approach”.

She said it would “require a completely new exit strategy going forward”.