PEOPLE should expect the Welsh Government to announce some new Covid restrictions at the next review later this week, the health minister has warned.

Ministers are due to meet on Thursday to review the national rules and measures, and the results of that meeting are expected that evening or on Friday, when the first minister is set to hold a press conference.

At another briefing, held today to discuss the vaccine booster programme, health minister Eluned Morgan was asked about the possibility of future restrictions, including another lockdown.

Political leaders in Wales and across the UK are preparing for an expected wave of Covid infections caused by the new Omicron variant.

Ms Morgan said: "The Welsh Government will do what we need to do to keep the people of Wales safe - that is our primary responsibility."

She added: "It will be more difficult for us to instigate a full lockdown without the support of the UK Government, and conversations are always ongoing with the UK Government in terms of what is possible.

"We are still assessing the situation but there is a likelihood that we will see some additional restrictions being introduced at the next review".

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On future restrictions, Ms Morgan said "the last thing we want to do is to cancel Christmas... [but] we are not taking anything off the table either".

She added: "The best thing for everyone to do... is to take precautions now. The more you mix now, the more likely you are to contract Covid and this form of Covid."

The Welsh Government would "try and keep our communities and our societies open" and was aware of "other harms" that measures could cause for people.

"We've got to bring the public with us," she added. "These are very tough calls."

Does this mean, then, that people should be planning for the worst?

Ms Morgan said "we genuinely have no idea how quickly Omicron is going to spread" but people "should plan" and "take the opportunity to do things early".

"We have no idea what Christmas is going to look like at the moment because it's such an unpredictable situation," she added.