First Minister Mark Drakeford to provide latest update on Delta variant in Wales

First Minister Mark Drakeford can give an update on the improvement in coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant in Wales on Friday.

This week was because of see lockdown rules reviewed with an announcement in the Welsh Government on whether there would be any changes to restrictions. However last week they announced nothing would change this week due to the spread of the Delta variant. You'll find the most recent figures on Delta cases in Wales here.

Welsh Government ministers and scientists have warned that Wales is at the start of the 3rd wave of Covid with installments of the Delta variant rising quickly. The next review where there could be any significant changes towards the existing Alert Level One rules is going to be on July 15.

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If conditions had remained favourable then Welsh Government had said that June 21 could see a further easing of ongoing Covid rules in Wales which would have allowed a rule of six for meeting inside private homes and overnight accommodation with individuals outside your extended household but this planned relaxation was placed on hold until a minimum of the middle of July.

Wales recorded more than 400 new installments of coronavirus within the latest 24-hour figures published on Thursday – double the amount number recorded the day before.

Latest figures from Public Health Wales on Thursday, June 24, have identified 438 more positive cases – the best number of instances reported in a single 24-hour period since early February.

The total number of cases since the pandemic began has reached 216,030. No new deaths were reported on Thursday meaning the entire remains at 5,573.

The overall infection rate in Wales now stands at 35.6 cases per 100,000 population based on the seven days between June 13 and June 19. This really is up from 32.2 on Wednesday.

On Thursday health minister Eluned Morgan said fans shouldn't visit Euro 2021 nor to look at the Lions tests in South Africa and she urged people to stay in the UK come july 1st.

"We've made significant progress in our efforts to lessen cases of coronavirus in the high levels we had at the start of the year," she said. "We want to do all we are able to to help keep the virus in check – particularly with the new Delta variant spreading in Wales. Staying at home preferably cheering Wales on outdoors can help this."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has delayed the removal of all restrictions in England. He had asserted there'd be considered a review on July 5 but at that time the delay was announced his spokesman said hello was "unlikely" any changes could be made on that date.

When asked on Thursday if any changes happening on July 5 would be ruled out for England the Prime Minister's spokesman said that review was on-going.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon put down a possible timetable for the easing of restrictions in Scotland with a target date of August 9 to possess almost all major rules lifted.