THERE cannot be a "huge splurge of reopening" from lockdown in Wales, the health minister has warned.

Coronavirus rates in Wales have been dropping since Christmas during the latest lockdown.

Over the last seven days the case rate per 100,000 across the country is 127, in the week prior to the new restrictions being introduced that number was above 600.

However, Vaughan Gething has warned that Wales cannot risk opening too quickly, and the "first priority" will be a return to face-to-face teaching in schools.

He told Times Radio: "We're hopeful that we’ll be able to start that after half-term, so from the week beginning February 22, and we think we’re going to be able to focus that on our youngest children in primary schools initially."

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An announcement on a return to schools is expected to be made tomorrow.

Mr Gething added: “That’s because we do have limited headroom. So, despite all the good news about our case rates falling, they’re still just under 125 which is actually still quite high.

“We had eye-watering levels before Christmas at nearly 700 cases per 100,000. So really good progress but still high and our NHS is still very pressured.

“Critical care today is operating at 130 per cent of its normal capacity. So we can’t have a huge splurge of reopening because we really do think that would lead to a significant bounce-back in cases and potentially overwhelm our service.

“We’ve got to go in small steps and schools are the first priority and hopefully, straight after the half-term break, we’ll be able to see our youngest children return to face-to-face learning in primary schools.”