FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford is to confirm Wales will be under coronavirus stay-at-home rules for at least another three weeks in an attempt to get children back to the classroom.

In the latest coronavirus review on Friday at 12.15pm, the first minister will tell a press conference how the country must remain under a strict lockdown until at least the next review on March 15.

The main reason for the lack of any significant changes to current restrictions is to allow as many children as possible back to school by the time of the next review.

Children aged between three and seven are set to return to schools on February 22.

From March 15, the Welsh Government hopes all primary pupils and some older students could return.

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The March review will also consider an easing of restrictions around non-essential retail and close contact services.

Coronavirus cases in Wales are now at their lowest level since the end of September, while one in three adults in Wales has had a coronavirus vaccine.

On Thursday case rates for all council areas in Gwent dropped below 90 cases per 100,000.

Three council areas - Monmouthshire, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent - had rates below the Wales average (83.7 per 100,000), with Newport and Torfaen not far behind.

While Wales has generally dropped below the necessary requirements to deem the country a tier four lockdown area, the Welsh Government believes Wales’ hospitals are still too busy to risk lifting restrictions at the moment.

A requirement to lift tier four restrictions is for health and social care procedures to be sustainable, and not under significant pressure, without elective procedures being cancelled due to capacity issues. The Welsh Government says overall, health and social care settings are still experiencing capacity problems.