WITH the next review of lockdown measures in Wales due at the end of this week, first minister Mark Drakeford has warned that coronavirus "has not gone away".

At his press conference earlier today, Mr Drakeford said measures being discussed at the next review include the re-opening non-essential retail, the re-opening of schools on June 29, and relaxing regulations on outdoor activities.

However, he warned any relaxing of regulations "will not mean a return to the pre-pandemic normal," and that Wales would continue to follow a cautious approach when reviewing the lockdown.

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"Coronavirus has not gone away," he said. "It continues to be present in Wales, and there is still a risk that we will face a second wave of illness later this year."

Many shops in England re-opened today, but Mr Drakeford said he believed the cautious approach to lifting lockdown would also be the best approach for the Welsh economy.

"We are keen to see the economy re-open here in Wales, but to do so in a way that puts public health first because that is the best way for our economy as well," he said.

"A stop-start re-opening of the economy, in which we have to clamp down on things again because coronavirus is out of control - nothing could be worse for the economy.

"That is why we are doing things in that careful, sequenced way that we are doing things in Wales."

Addressing Wales' R rate being lower than in England and the UK average, Mr Drakeford said this figure was an indication of the "success" the Welsh Government was having in dealing with the pandemic.

"It's a sign of the success of the way that we have done things rather than an inducement to do an awful lot very quickly," he said.

"I want to take maximum advantage of the headroom we have while it remains within the bounds of safe public health practice.

"We will only put forward a package of measures on Friday that the chief medical officer has endorsed.

"There will come a point where the advice to us will say 'You've done everything you can within the headroom you've got and you shouldn't go further than that at this moment'." .

Throughout the pandemic, Mr Drakeford has stressed his preference for a UK-wide approach to lifting lockdown, but in his press conference, he said he hadn't had any contact with the UK government in almost three weeks.

"I last spoke to the prime minister two weeks ago last Thursday," he said. "I've had no discussion with any UK minister offered in the weeks that have followed [excluding the secretary of state for Wales].

"As of today there is no invitation to speak to any UK minister during the rest of this week."

He said health minister Vaughan Gething has a weekly call with his counterparts from each government, but the first minister has had no "regular, reliable" meetings with the UK government for more than two weeks.