WALES’ First Minister has hinted at tighter restrictions to come as the country continues to battle against coronavirus.

Speaking with the Leader, and other North Wales media via video conference, Mark Drakeford MS said that more measures would be introduced as the new variant of COVID-19 keeps its hold over the country.

He said that more information would come during his Friday press conference but said that it would focus on measures for places people are likely to gather including ‘workplaces’ and ‘supermarkets’.

Speculation about tighter restrictions in other parts of the UK began emerging after Scotland issued six further restrictions that will come into force in their devolved nation from Saturday, January 17.

When quizzed by the Leader about Wales following Scottish plans with tighter lockdown restrictions from this weekend, the Welsh Government leader said: “I will tomorrow [Friday] have more to say tomorrow about a tightening of measures in the workplace and in relation to supermarkets.

“We are going to tighten things in some ways across the whole of Wales, not just in North East Wales where the figures are going up and up. Where we think people gather, and where we think people are still getting together.

“We’ll do it in a slightly more benign context, certainly than we faced before Christmas and slightly more benign than Scotland is facing at the moment.”

He did rule out Welsh equivalents of measures taking place in Scotland which will see places of worship closed and childcare arrangements changed.

Looking at the overall picture in Wales, Mr Drakeford went on said that he was confident the blanket measures brought into force in December have done a good job at keeping rates ‘heading in the right direction’ despite parts of North East Wales returning high figures.

He said that the potential for localised measures could come later in the year using the alert system at different levels where needs arise.

The Labour MS said: “When we went into the lockdown before Christmas this was a very hot topic, both in North Wales whether it was fair to include everywhere when some parts of Wales thought they were in a different position.

“I am very glad today that we did include everywhere. Anglesey is at 175 [per 100,000], Gwynedd 176 and continuing to rise. When you get to Wrexham, its over 900. I think our decision to offer the same level of protection to everybody has definitely been the right one.

“An all-Wales approach is simpler to understand, its fairer in some ways and just reflects the fact this virus changes so incredibly quickly.”

Mr Drakeford added that “at the moment, we are all in it together”.