A RETHINK of plans for Christmas in Wales may be the best way to keep your family safe - with the chief medical officer leading by example.

Speaking at the Welsh Government coronavirus briefing today, Dr Frank Atherton said he would be altering plans he had made, to ensure the safety of his family.

And he warned that the people of Wales, as well as throughout the wider UK, would have to accept that this Christmas will be "very different".

"We all need to think about our plans and perhaps rethink those plans," he said.

He said he had decided against visiting family in Northern Ireland and England.

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"I'm prepared to make that sacrifice to keep my family safe," he said.

"I'm going to stay home to have a small quiet Christmas.

"I want to bring my risk as low as I possibly can."

Dr Atherton said the best present the people of Wales can give their families this year is "a corona-free Christmas".

One way in which people may look to limit the amount of contact certain members of their family have with those outside their household could be to withdraw their children from school before the end of term.

However, Dr Atherton stressed that this was not currently advised by the Welsh Government.

"Many schools are making their own plans," he said.

He also said that the five-day relaxation of coronavirus restrictions was not mandated. If there are ways to be safer then he said people should do that.

"We are not reconsidering that, we have made a commitment," he said.

"Changing the rules would confuse everybody. We will not be doing that."

However, he said coronavirus restrictions would likely need looking at again after Christmas, with another lockdown not off the agenda.

"We will have to look at it again coming out of Christmas if we need further restrictions," he said.