Wales wants to end Covid restrictions as soon as possible - but now is not the time

That was the message from Health Minister Eluned Morgan as she answered questions from the media on Tuesday.

She was asked whether Wales planned to ease restrictions on sports gatherings as Scotland is expected to.

She said: "We are keen to dismantle any restrictions as soon as we can.

"The pandemic is very much still with us. We are keeping an eye on the statistics.

"It would be difficult to dismantle things if the numbers continue to rise.

"In terms of the Six Nations we still have a bit of time. It's unlikely we will see an easing until we see at least a levelling off.

"Let's be clear, we are seeing the highest level of cases that we have seen throughout the pandemic.

"Now would not be a sensible time to ease things."

Asked if the Omicron variant had reached its peak in Wales, the Health Minister said it was too soon to tell.

She said: "It would be great if we could see the stabilisation continue, but we have to be cautious.

"The way we measure people with Covid has changed. This could have dampened down the numbers.

"We have also seen the return to schools.

"It's too early to say whether we have reached the peak."