PARTS of Wales with a low rate of coronavirus infection will enter lockdown on Friday.

First minister Mark Drakeford announced the two week circuit-breaker lockdown on Monday.

Mr Drakeford said that regions such as Monmouthshire, the only area of Gwent not in local lockdown, will be included in the new nationwide lockdown due to the local lockdown gap narrowing.

Mr Drakeford said: "The reason we have decided on an all-Wales fire break is partly because of the gap between those areas where local lockdowns are not needed and where lockdowns are in place is narrowing and it simply makes sense.

"It has to be a national effort and every person in every single part of Wales has to make a contribution.

"We now need to ask everybody, wherever they live to make their contribution.

"However small it may be, those contributions add up."

Over the past six weeks, areas of Gwent have been moved in to local lockdown, with only Monmouthshire remaining exempt.

The most recent figures show the smallest difference in coronavirus rates between those in lockdown and those not in lockdown since only Caerphilly was locked down.

South Wales Argus:

In week 42 of the Public Health Wales figures, representing October 12 to October 18, Gwent counties in lockdown had an average coronavirus rate of 74.9 cases per 100,000 people.

In comparison, Monmouthshire had a rate of 63.4 cases per 100,000 people.

That gap of just 11.5 cases is much smaller than three weeks earlier.

When Newport and Blaenau Gwent were placed into local lockdown the gap measured almost 100 cases per 100,000 population.

The figures also show that Monmouthshire's figures have risen to the point that they would have been considered for local lockdown a few weeks ago.

Last week's rate of 63.4 cases per 100,000 people is above the threshold of 50 cases per 100,000 used by the Welsh Government earlier in the autumn.

It is also higher than the rate in Blaenau Gwent and Newport, both of which remain in local lockdown.

South Wales Argus:

Richard Stanton, virology expert for the division of infection and immunity at Cardiff University, supported the move to introduce a national lockdown.

He said: "I think the earlier you act, and the stronger you act, the more you can open up your economy afterwards, and the better situation you are going to be in afterwards."

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Stanton also backed the logic behind introducing the measures as a full national lockdown, rather than tightening restrictions in already locked down areas.

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He added: "I think certainly across Wales at the moment, we are seeing the virus coming up in all areas.

"There are definitely differences. Some areas are higher than others, but the virus is increasing in all parts of the country.

"Given the exponential increase in the growth it would not take long for an area of low prevalence to become an area of high prevalence.

"It also comes down to behaviour.

"Are people more likely to behave in line with restrictions if everyone is the under the same restrictions or if they are under different restrictions?

"There is argument to be made that it seems much fairer if everyone is under the same restrictions and therefore people are more likely to comply."