As the omicron variant takes hold, first minister Mark Drakeford has warned that Wales needs not only “a plan to keep us safe this Christmas”, but also “stronger measures to protect us afterwards”.

       Throughout the first half of December, Wales continued to have relatively light Covid-19 guidance in place, asking the public to observe social distancing and meet outdoors when possible, wear masks in public spaces, wash hands with care and be prepared to show an NHS Covid Pass for entry to cinemas, theatres and concert halls.

       But, while announcing on Monday that all eligible adults in Wales would be offered a booster jab by the end of the year, Mr Drakeford had warned his compatriots that more severe restrictions could be implemented after Christmas in response to the new variant.

       After two Welsh Cabinet meetings on Thursday, when the country’s total number of omicron cases reached 100, it was announced that Wales will move to significantly tighter measures after Christmas.

       But before the new rules come into force on 27 December, people are being advised to follow a set of five steps for a “safer Christmas”. These are:

       Recommended Covid omicron news: Booster vaccine queues reach six hours Omicron symptoms: What to look out for from new Covid variant Will there be a new UK lockdown before Christmas as part of Plan B?

       Get vaccinated – and make attending your booster appointment a priority. Take a lateral flow test before Christmas shopping or visiting people, and don’t go out if positive. Meeting outdoors is better than indoors. If you’re meeting indoors make sure it’s well ventilated. Space out your socialising – if you’ve got events arranged, leave at least a day between them. Don’t forget about social distancing, wearing a face covering and washing your hands.

       The regulations will also be changed to include a requirement to work from home wherever possible.

       “As we know, the traditional way of doing things in Wales is people go out together and socialise in the run-up to Christmas, and then in the post-Christmas period there’s a standing back from that,” Mr Drakeford had told ITV Wales on Monday. “There may be a period in the post-Christmas days when we can do more to stem the flow of the omicron variant.”

       Indeed, two days after Christmas, nightclubs in Wales will now be forced to close and the two-metre social distancing rule will return in offices, while businesses will be legally required to put extra measures in place to protect customers and staff, such as one-way systems and physical barriers.

       The Welsh Government has announced up to ￡60m in funding to help businesses affected by the new measures.

       “Delta will continue to be the main cause of coronavirus infections in Wales up to Christmas. But we are seeing cases of omicron increasing rapidly every day in Wales – and across the UK,” Mr Drakeford said in a statement on the new measures as they were announced on Thursday.

       “We need a plan to keep us safe this Christmas and we need stronger measures to protect us afterwards, as we prepare for a large wave of omicron infections. Omicron poses a new threat to our health and safety. It is the most serious development in the pandemic to date.

       “It is one we must take seriously. We will continue to put in place proportionate measures to protect people’s lives and livelihoods. This is a virus which thrives on human contact. Every contact we have is an opportunity for us to spread or catch the virus.”

       Recommended More restrictions possible in Wales after Christmas, says Mark Drakeford ‘Last thing we want to do is cancel Christmas’, says Wales’ health minister Welsh Government refuses to rule out extra Covid restrictions over Christmas

       His health minister, Baroness Eluned Morgan, had earlier warned that the devolved government was “currently not taking anything off the table” as infections rise.

       “The last thing we want to do is cancel Christmas. I think it is important we make that absolutely clear,” she told journalists at a briefing.

       “But we are not currently taking anything off the table either, so the best thing for people to do, in order to see if we can remain in a situation where we are all able to see each other over Christmas is to take precautions now, so that we don’t see the kind of increasing rates that we are all expecting.

       “A lot of this is in our hands, as individuals and as a community. The more you mix now, the more likely you are to contract Covid, and this particular form of Covid.”

       Baroness Morgan’s department is striving to hit a target of 200,000 booster vaccinations a day, with health boards again opening pop-up centres, including walk-in and drive-through clinics with longer opening hours, often partially staffed by volunteers.

       Meanwhile, on Thursday evening Conwy council became the sixth area in Wales, following Wrexham, Anglesey, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Ceredigion, to announce a move to in-person teaching this week.

       It was widely reported that Senedd education minister Jeremy Miles had hours earlier written to headteachers to tell them that the term will restart two days later than planned, on 10 January, in order to give teachers time to plan for pupils’ return and decide whether to move to remote learning.

       The priority “continues to be to minimise the disruption to education, and ensure where possible learners continue to receive in person learning, as well as protecting school staff and learners”, Mr Miles said.