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Economic Development

Wales is not on 'unstoppable journey' to lockdown says Mark Drakeford

The First Minister says the latest measures can 'mitigate risk' of more interventions but nothing can be ruled out

First Minister Mark Drakeford(Image: Hadyn Iball / North Wales Live)

First Minister Mark Drakeford says Wales is not on an 'unstoppable journey' to lockdown after being quizzed by the leader of the opposition.

Mr Drakeford yesterday introduced new measures from December 26 - including the return of the rule of six and two metre social distancing in hospitality and other venues.

It comes as cases rise - driven by the more transmissible but potentially less severe Omicron variant as more evidence emerges showing that hospitalisations are lower,

When he faced questions in the Senedd, Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies asked Mr Drakeford if Wales was now on the path to lockdown and if he had confidence these new measures could avert that from happening. He said people feared we were on an "unstoppable journey" to more rules.

In response, the First Minister said: "The measures are designed to flatten the curve and protect the NHS. We are not on an unstoppable journey to lockdown."

He said he was seeing claims "time after time" that Welsh Government were going announce a lockdown on various dates in December and that "none of it is true".

Mr Drakeford did say nothing could be ruled out.

He added: "If we act together and do all the things that we are able to do in our own lives we have the chance to make a difference