CORONAVIRUS test results should be returned more quickly to Powys residents, the First Minister has said.

Speaking in an online press conference for mid Wales attended by the County Times, Professor Mark Drakeford tackled a number of issues from coronavirus testing to schools re-opening.

When quizzed about the length of time people in Powys who have been tested for coronavirus have to wait for their results, Professor Drakeford said a new facility in north Wales, near Rhyl, should help to reduce the waiting time.

He re-iterated the commitment of the Education Minister, Kirsty Williams AM, that schools in Wales will only re-open once it is deemed safe to do so by the country's chief medical officer.

Prof Drakeford added that ideally, he hopes primary school leavers in Year 6 will be able to meet up one last time before they make the transition to high school.

When asked about support for farming during and after the crisis, the First Minister said he was in discussions with his Farming Minister Lesley Griffiths AM.

He said it was "heartbreaking" to see dairy farmers having to pour milk away with restaurants and cafe's closed, and they are working with the UK Government to lift certain restrictions, and enable milk to be turned into other dairy products such as cheese and butter.

The First Minister added that there could be a recruitment drive for seasonal workers in agriculture, as a lack of people coming in from overseas this year will cause difficulty in that sector.

A bespoke scheme has been set up to match people to such work in the countryside, tailored to the needs of Welsh agriculture.

With Powys County Council warning that by the end of June it could have lost more than £10 million due to the pandemic, Professor Drakeford said the authority would have its share of the £110m support grant grant for local authorities in Wales.

He said: "Obviously they are not collecting in the council tax in the way they normally would expect to and we do recognise that local authorities are losing income.

"Normally they would have people coming in to leisure centres and paying for that, and using other facilities of the local authority and he local authority would get an income but that's not coming in to them at the moment so we are paying up front, the revenue support grant.

But he warned the UK Government would have to be lobbied to find extra cash for council's right across the country, and not just Wales.