HEALTH Minister Vaughan Gething has said that it is important that people trust what their government is doing.

Mr Gething was speaking at the Welsh Government's coronavirus update briefing following a weekend of confusion as to what constituted an 'essential' item in supermarkets.

He said that he was "concerned" about the messaging over the weekend.

"It's taken us away from the reason the firebreak has been introduced," he said.

"It's important that people trust what their government is doing and why.

"The weekend's messages are moving us away from the reality of a mounting death toll."

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However, asked later in the briefing why the Welsh Government was not prepared to trust the people of Wales to shop sensibly in supermarkets, the health minister said: "It is not a question of trusting or not trusting."

He said that, throughout the entirety of the pandemic, stores have had to think about the items they sell.

"Ministers take responsibility for the measures we are putting in place," he said.

"This is difficult. It's hard for people to accept sometimes."

Mr Gething said that the Welsh Government had been "very clear" that the impact of the firebreak lockdown would not be felt until around "a week or so" after it ended.

"What this government could not have done, is chosen to do nothing," he said.

"The package of measures we put in place included the closure of non-essential retail."