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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Cathy Owen

You will now be able to meet a member of another household for a walk in Wales

The lockdown will remain in force in Wales for another three weeks, but there will be a very slight easing of some restrictions.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed that people will be allowed to meet one other person from one other local household for exercise locally.

He has also said that people will be able to reform their bubble as part of the latest review of the Level Four lockdown restrictions that have been in place since December 20.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, he confirmed: "At the moment you can't go out and exercise with anybody, other than members of your own household.

"We are going to ease that very slightly by allowing you to meet one other person from one other household, provided they are living locally to you so that you will be able to exercise."

You will be able to meet one other person for exercise locally (Shared Content Unit)

You can meet a different person on different households on separate occasions, but exercise still must start and end at your home, he added.

"We are still talking about people living very locally," he said. "It is a very minor easement but it will be important for some people."

Mr Drakeford also spoke about changing bubbles, explaining: "If you have formed a bubble with another household if you are a single-person household you can't change that arrangement but we know that weeks into this some people will have moved, relationships will have changed.

"We are going to allow people to dissolve the bubble they are in and reform it provided there is a 10-day gap between the two."

It is also going to be announced on Friday (January 29) at the latest coronavirus briefing that the youngest primary school pupils may be able to begin returning to their desks after the February half-term if coronavirus rates continue to fall. Follow live updates from the briefing here.

The Welsh Government said the Covid-19 situation is "improving" but another three weeks of Level Four restrictions are needed to "allow the NHS to recover".

The Welsh Government said there could be a "phased and flexible return to school after February 22 if the public health situation continues to improve".

A statement said: "Rates of coronavirus across Wales have fallen below 200 cases per 100,000 people for the first time since early November.

"And every day, thousands more people receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine - the latest figures show almost 11% of the population have been vaccinated."

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