Calls are being made for the Welsh Government to restore pre-lockdown freedoms, as the First Minister prepares to make an announcement on Wednesday.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies has today repeated his calls for a plan for the restoration of freedoms in Wales to save Welsh jobs.

During First Minister’s Questions, Mr Davies pushed First Minister Mark Drakeford on whether he agreed with his adviser Prof John Watkins’ call for restrictions to be removed in Wales.

The First Minister said Covid restrictions will not be abandoned "wholesale" and is due to announce his latest review tomorrow.

Commenting after today’s Senedd exchange and ahead of tomorrow’s review, Mr Davies said: “We have to learn to live with the virus and with the summer kicking in, and the school term coming to its conclusion, many families, workers and businesses will be asking if not now, when?

“Thanks to the great work of our NHS and volunteers, we have made excellent progress with our vaccination programme, and this should allow us to restore more freedoms in Wales and start our recovery.

“The vaccines are working, and the latest modelling shows that two doses of the vaccine are just as effective against hospital admission with the delta variant as with the alpha variant.

“Given the data trends, the Welsh Labour Government now has the flexibility to provide families, workers and businesses with their plan for restoring all freedoms and releasing restrictions in Wales.

“For the sake of Welsh jobs and our economic recovery, it’s important the First Minister does so tomorrow.”

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced this afternoon that restrictions would be eased from Monday, 19 July, but face masks will be required "for some time to come”.

Mr Drakeford is expected to make an announcement on the future of lockdown measures in Wales tomorrow, but the Welsh Government has already said that face coverings will continue to be required in certain settings, such as public transport and taxis, and health and social care, as a minimum, while coronavirus remains a public health threat.

Active further consideration is being given to whether face coverings should also be required in other settings, such as retail, if restrictions are relaxed further.