NO CHANGES are expected as first minister Mark Drakeford announces the results of the final Covid review in Wales before Christmas.

Mr Drakeford will hold a press conference in Cardiff at 12.15pm, two days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced winter 'Plan B' measures in England – which brought England more in line with measures in Wales.

Ahead of the review, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “While there is increasing concern about the Omicron variant, we do not anticipate making significant changes to the existing regulations at the moment.”

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The first minister has said that Wales will remain at Alert Level 0 following the latest review, but has strongly advised the Welsh public to wear a face covering in pubs and restaurants when they aren’t eating or drinking.

He also stressed that everyone must wear face coverings in most other indoor public places – including in cinemas and theatres – in accordance with the law.

As Christmas approaches, the first minister has also asked people to test before going out to events or places, especially those which are likely to be busy. This includes Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, and visiting friends or family.

If someone does test positive, they should not go out and should arrange to take a PCR test.

Mr Drakeford has also urged everyone who is eligible to get their booster vaccine when they are contacted.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant is another worrying development in this long-running pandemic,” said the first minister. “We are concerned about the speed it is moving and its potential to infect large numbers of people.

“We are speeding up the roll-out of boosters in response to the new variant. We’re increasing the number of clinics and extending opening hours.

“Every single vaccination is a small victory against the virus – so please make getting your vaccine or booster a priority.

“This will be the best Christmas present you can give yourself and your family this year.

“None of us wanted to hear about the news of this new variant. After almost two years of the pandemic, we had all hoped that we could put coronavirus behind us this Christmas.

“But, we have faced challenges many times during this pandemic. And we have learned from each one. We are not back at square one.

“Please do everything you can to protect yourself and your loved ones. Please follow all the advice and all the measures which have kept us safe over the last couple of years. And let’s stay safe and well this Christmas.”

We will have live updates from today’s press conference on southwalesargus.co.uk