NOBODY should expect a significant easing of lockdown restrictions next week, the health minister has said.

At the Welsh Government press conference on January 20, Vaughan Gething said there had been positive news in the falling of cases, even in North Wales, and the overall case rate has dropped below 300 cases per 100,000 people.

However he said this still remains very high and the positivity rate was also still high.

He was asked whether lockdown restrictions would likely be eased at the next review at the end of the month, or whether it would be better to continue a hard lockdown.

He said: "I can't prejudge the Welsh Government decision, but what I would say is, and I've said this before, no-one should expect any sort of significant easing at the end of the next review period.

"Our cases are still relatively high. It's good news that we've gone under 300 cases per 100,000 people, the progress is in the right direction at present.

"We've also seen a drop in positivity rate. It wasn’t that long ago that nearly one in four people who were tested were testing positive too, so we've seen a reduction in that positivity rate but it is still really quite high.

"Our case rates remain quite high and our positivity rates remain quite high and as you know, our National Health Service is still under significant pressure. We've seen a slight easing on pressure on critical care units but they are still operating at nearly 150 per cent capacity.

"That is where we've got to be really cautious, if we come out of Level 4 too soon, too fast, we could well see rebound in Covid rates and we could well see something that overwhelms our NHS, with all harm that would cause to staff and services

"People shouldn’t expect any significant easing at the end this current phase but Welsh Government has to look at all the information and take into account the advice from our chief medical officer and scientific advisor."

The next review is set to take place next week.