NEW Wales-wide lockdown regulations will be announced by first minister Mark Drakeford today - but an extension of the two-week ‘firebreak’ has been ruled out.

Following the announcement that a four-week lockdown will come into force in England on Thursday, November 5, questions had been asked on whether the Welsh restrictions would be extended. But the Welsh Government has no confirmed the firebreak will end as planned on November 9.

And later today, Monday, Mr Drakeford is set to announce a new raft of national measures to come into force from next week.

MORE NEWS:

The first minister will say the new measures – details of which are still unclear – will only work if everyone in Wales changes their behaviour.

He will say: “We need to do everything we can to reduce our exposure to the virus by reducing the contacts we have with other people – at home; in work and when we go out.

“We need to do the minimum – not the maximum, which the rules allow.”

Discussions have been ongoing in the Welsh Government throughout the weekend to finalise the new guidance, and an announcement is expected at a press conference to be held at 12.15pm.

Speaking last week, Mr Drakeford said: “The firebreak period will end on November 9.

“When the firebreak ends coronavirus will still be here with us and, even if a small minority act as though that was not the case, then the risk is that the firebreak period will fail and all the hard work of everybody else will be for nothing.

“That is why the cabinet has been meeting this week and decided not to return to the network of local restrictions that we had in place earlier in autumn.”

Mr Drakeford added: “Instead, we will put in place a simpler set of national rules that are easier for everybody to understand to help keep us safe and keep the virus under control.

“We’ve been working hard this week to create this new set of measures that we can all live with this winter and that will give maximum protection together with as much freedom as is feasible.

“That is a difficult balancing act as the virus thrives on contact between people, especially those indoors.”

Ministers in Wales were also set to meet yesterday to discuss any border issues that may arise from the new national lockdown in England, which will be in force until December 2.

Ahead of that announcement, Mr Drakeford tweeted: “Any announcement will relate to England. The Welsh firebreak will end on Monday, November 9. Our cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss any potential border issues for Wales in light of any announcement by No 10.”

There had been some confusion around the status of the lockdown after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer appeared to suggest Mr Drakeford was considering expanding the Welsh restrictions.

Speaking on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning, Sir Keir said he would “ideally” like to see “a four-nations approach” to tackling the pandemic.

“What Mark Drakeford wants is better communication with the prime minister to agree a way forward.

“I am sure he would be up for that if the prime minister phoned him this afternoon.”

However, a Welsh Labour spokesman later clarified the party leader was not talking about extending the firebreak.

“Keir Starmer was talking about Mark Drakeford’s repeated calls for a ‘regular, reliable rhythm’ to inter-governmental communications that would allow better planning across the UK,” he said.

“Mark has made it clear publicly that firebreak will end on November 9. He’s also been open about wanting four nation approach but warns that there is currently a ‘vacancy at the heart of the UK Government’.”

Health minister Vaughan Gething also ruled out an extension.

Speaking to Times Radio, he said: "We've been clear that we're acting at this point, we're acting to have a definitive fire-break. We'll see the benefit of that come after the fire break ends."

But he did not rule out a future lockdown, saying: "None of us can know where exactly we'll be in six weeks time let alone three month's time.

"It would be foolish and just not honest to tell the public that we can rule out measures at some point in the future."

Sir Keir also praised Mark Drakeford for his approach to the lockdown.

He added: “Mark has followed the science and he has put in place a break in Wales,” he said.

“He got in early with his decision.

“The one thing we have learned about coronavirus is when you have got to act, you have to do it swiftly and decisively, and the earlier the better.

“Mark Drakeford and Welsh Labour got in early so the infection rate and the death rate was less in Wales when they went into the lockdown, that is the crucial point.”

  • The Argus will be reporting live from the first minister’s press conference at 12.15pm today.