THE results of the next review on coronavirus restrictions will come ahead of the Easter weekend, Welsh Government confirm.

As usual, First Minister Mark Drakeford will address the nation on a three-week cycle with the next stages of unlocking Wales from its national set of restrictions.

The country is gradually easing its lockdown that was thrust upon the Welsh public just before Christmas.

This weekend, Saturday, saw libraries and self-contained holiday accommodation permitted to reopen and rules were lifted to allow unrestricted travel within Welsh borders.

Historic venues – such as the National Trust and CADW – were able to reopen outdoor attractions from as early as Saturday too.

The next review will take place on Thursday, April 1, rather than the usual Friday on account of the Good Friday Bank Holiday on April 2.

On that date, ministers are expected to reveal where they stand on the following:

• The full return of schools and colleges

• Reopening of all non-essential retail

• Close contact services resuming

• Travel into and out of Wales being permitted

At present, primary aged school pupils and those in crucial exam years were given priority to return to the classroom for face-to-face learning earlier this year.

This is likely to be the highest priority for Welsh Government as children are said to have been their key focus throughout the pandemic.

Non-essential retailers will also be hopeful for an opening date on April 12 after the disappointment earlier this month.

Despite making preparations, independent retailers in Wales were told they would remain closed until after Easter to line up with the rules set out for England by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In the meantime, supermarkets have been able to sell non-essentials for the past three weeks. This decision was previously defended by the First Minister because chains had proven they're operating safely already.

Close contact services – including beauticians - also faced a slightly longer wait after hairdressers were permitted to open earlier in March but they were told to wait an extra month until April 12.

The First Minster has already given an indication that cross border travel could resume after the Easter break when explaining the most recent relaxations and what Wales could expect next.

As with all announcements about the easing of lockdown, the public health landscape will be examined right up to the wire and influence how much headroom is available to allow the nation to unlock further and start its road back to normality.

The latest data from Public Health Wales reported on Sunday said that a further 171 cases of coronavirus were identified across the country, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 209,066.

Here in North Wales, the six local authority areas accounted for 37 of those cases – just 21 per cent of the national figures.

Public Health Wales also reported no further deaths nationally on Sunday. This was the third day last week where that was possible.