That brings an end to this afternoon's live page after the Welsh government held its latest review of Covid rules.

Here are some of the main points from today:

• One million booster jabs have now been given in Wales
• Reviews of Covid rules will be reviewed twice before Christmas in response to the Omicron variant
• People are being asked to 'flow before they go' Christmas shopping and to visit loved ones to keep them safe
• New guidance for hospital and care home visits will soon be published

For all the latest on the Omicron variant, click here.

Image source, ANDREW PARSONS/NO 10 DOWNING STREET

The PM's press chief gave out awards at a Downing Street party last Christmas that is now under investigation, it is understood.

Jack Doyle, then deputy director of communications, gave a speech to 20-30 people at the gathering on 18 December.

Bereaved Covid families recently spoke of their anger at a video which featured No 10 staff joking about holding a Christmas party.

Downing Street said: "There is an ongoing review, and we won't be commenting further while that is the case."

Read more here.

A nurse has chosen to leave ICU after pressures on her mental health during the pandemic.

Fern Osborne, 30, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, said she would feel ill with anxiety when the time came to go to work.

She has now moved to agency work but said she was "not the only one" who left the NHS due to mounting pressures.

The Welsh government said there are schemes in place to enable flexibility.

Read more here.

Mark Drakeford said everyone should wear masks, get vaccinated and think before meeting people with underlying health issues - and social distance.

He said doing the things we have learnt to do to keep us safe throughout the pandemic will "keep us on track for Christmas".

Image source, MATTHEW HORWOOD

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price has supported the move by Welsh government, saying it is "the right thing" to do.

Mr Price also supported Welsh government requests for more financial support from the UK government if tighter restrictions were to be introduced.

He said the level of UK government support would be “a limiting factor on the extent to which the Welsh government can introduce the public health measures”.

So far this year, more than 6.7 million lateral flow test (LFT) results have been reported in Wales.

• 1.23% of these have been positive
• 877,200 individuals in Wales have taken LFTs this year
• In the most recent week, 199,560 LFTs were reported and 1.7% of these were positive tests

The Welsh government's now recommending using the tests before going to a Christmas party, shopping, visiting friends or family, going to any crowded or busy place, or before travelling.

If the test is positive, individuals should stay home, arrange for a PCR test and self-isolate.

Image source, Getty Images

The Omicron variant in Scotland is likely to replace Delta as the dominant form of the virus within days, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.

The country's first minister said the 110 cases that have been recorded in the country are only the "tip of the iceberg".

And she warned that a new wave of the pandemic was about to begin.

She also announced changes to self-isolation guidelines, and urged people to cancel work Christmas parties.

Reacting to comments made by the first minister during the press conference, Welsh Conservative health spokesman Russell George said more restrictions would not be needed considering other countries' experiences of dealing with Omicron.

"At the moment, I think what we've seen would point to the fact that we don't need further restrictions ahead of the Christmas period, or indeed to the New Year, but we just don't know enough about that new variant yet," he said.

"I think the first minister's right to particularly keep an eye on London, where it tends to be ahead of other parts of the UK.

"It's important to look at that information and that data, and particularly looking at the the hospitalisation rates that that may occur."

New guidance for visiting loved ones in care homes and hospitals will be issued, the first minister said.

The first minister said he is sure there are more cases of Omicron in Wales than the nine identified so far.

Mark Drakeford said: "Whenever we declare numbers... there are always more people than the testing system has been able to detect."

Not all testing laboratories have been set-up to identify the new variant.

But he said that tests in north Wales "have generally gone to a laboratory in Manchester that is able" to detect Omicron.

More Public Health Wales laboratories are now able to do that, as well as a major laboratory in Newport, he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Drakeford said had taken a lateral flow test before attending an event at the Guild Hall in Swansea.

"I took a lateral flow tests before I left home this morning to give me the confidence that I wouldn't be putting other people at risk," the first minister said.

"If you are going to a gathering of any sort think about the things you can do - vaccination, testing, mask wearing - that repertoire of things that we know builds up our defences, and can help to keep us safe in the run up to Christmas."

Image source, Getty Images

The Welsh government continues to work "to see what funds we could bring together to help businesses further if we are facing a really challenging time with the Omicron variant," the first minister said.

But he warned that "if that variant were to sweep across the whole of the United Kingdom, at the speed and with an intensity some of the models are now suggesting, then the economic impact could only be absorbed with action from the Treasury at the UK level".

"No devolved government by itself could manage to provide the level of support that will be necessary in those circumstances," he said.

"So I've already made that point directly to the UK government and we'll have an opportunity to do so again, this afternoon.

"The Treasury has to be around the table as we plan ahead for what might be coming our way."

The first minister told today's news conference that while it’s not known whether omicron causes a mild or a more severe form of illness, he is concerned it has the potential to infect large numbers of people.

He said this could translate into a large increase in hospital admissions over the next month at a time when the NHS is already under “severe and intense” pressure.

“Nevertheless, we are not in the same situation as we were this time last year thanks to our incredible vaccination programme,” he said.

Image source, Getty Images

People should follow the rules and get their booster jabs rather than change their Christmas plans, the first minister has said.

He said ministers did not want to “micro-manage” people’s family lives.

“The advice is this, that we should approach Christmas by doing all those thing that we know can help us to protect us and other people from the virus," he added.

“Make sure you are vaccinated and take up those appointments. Wear a mask in crowded public places.

"Think about the people you are meeting, especially if you are meeting people whose underlying health conditions make them particularly vulnerable to the virus.

“All these things, the social distancing, the things we have learned to do, can keep us on track and that’s how we should all be approaching Christmas.”

The first minister says cases of the new Omicron variant in Wales are low at the moment but he expects a quick and steep rise in the coming days and weeks.

Mark Drakeford added that new guidance for visiting in care homes and hospitals would be issued.

“We want to do all we can to support visiting where it is safe to do so but, if we see a new wave of cases, some strengthened measures to protect patients and residents may be needed," he said.

Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, earlier worried that care homes may be forced to close their doors as they face a "race against time" in its booster vaccination rollout.

He added homes were "looking very anxiously" at another Covid wave.

Work from home “wherever you can”, the first minister added.

Mark Drakeford has confirmed there will be no major changes to Wales' Covid regulations, with the country staying under "alert level zero" rules.

He confirmed that people were being recommended to use Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) before going to a Christmas party, shopping, visiting friends or family, going to any crowded or busy place, or before travelling.

“We strongly urge everyone to flow before you go - if it’s positive, don’t go out at all.

“Arrange for a PCR test and self-isolate.”

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Drakeford said a million booster vaccines have already been given in Wales.

The Welsh NHS is speeding up the roll-out of boosters in response to the Omicron variant.

The plan is to offer all over-18s a booster jab by the end of January, which he urged everyone to get.

"This will be the best Christmas present you can give yourself and your family this year," he said.

Image source, Getty Images

The coronavirus restrictions will now be reviewed every week, rather than every three weeks, in Wales.

Mark Drakeford has said considering "the speed at which things things may change", the cabinet will now review the Covid situation in Wales on a weekly basis.

"We’ll be monitoring the public health circumstances very closely to consider whether we need to put additional protections in place to keep Wales safe," Mr Drakeford said.

It comes as nine cases of the new Omicron variant have been found in Wales so far.

Cinema & Co in Swansea has been bolted shut overnight after the owner was summoned to court for a third time.

Anna Refern, who runs the independent cinema, refused the council's closure order on 30 November, claiming it was "unlawful".

She re-opened the venue the following night and hosted a Christmas film screening for customers.

Swansea council said it will begin contempt of court proceedings against her.

Read more here.