IT is still too early to know if people will be able to mix over Christmas, Wales' health minister has confirmed.

Vaughan Gething said the Welsh Government hopes people will be able to see family over Christmas, but he added that it would be a decision taken nearer the time.

The "short, sharp" fire break lockdown being introduced on Friday is aimed at bringing down the coronavirus to a manageable level.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said last week that the "ambition is that will be sufficient to take us through to Christmas."

Asked yesterday whether people would be able to see family over the festive period, Mr Gething said it is still too early to say.

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The health minister said: "The problem is that in terms of forecasting where we are going to be at the end of the year, that is a bit of a mug's game.

"We can see that without action our NHS faces a real risk of being overwhelmed, and that informs our reasoning for the fire-break.

"But to forecast the exact number of people you will be able to see within your own home over Christmas... I do not think that is a reasonable thing to try to forecast because frankly I would be making it up.

"We do want people to be able to see their family over Christmas, but we have to make choices around what that will look like as we get closer to the time.

"I am afraid that you and I will continue to have to get used to the face that we are living with a continued level of uncertainty."