PENARTH, like the rest of Wales will be placed under lockdown from midnight with festive plans cancelled for all but Christmas Day.

First Minister Mark Drakeford made the announcement after urgent talks with ministers over a new strain of Coronavirus.

From 23 to 28 December rules had been set to be relaxed to allow people to celebrate the holidays with loved-ones.

But now this is limited to just Christmas Day.

Announcing the strict new measures Mr Drakeford said: "While we all want to avoid further disruption to businesses and plans for Christmas, our overriding duty is to protect lives here in Wales."

"We know that 2021 will be a different and a better year.

"Our economy will recover. Christmas will come again."

The changes mean that a Wales-wide lockdown, which was due to come into effect from 28 December, has been brought forward and will begin at midnight tonight.

All of Wales will be placed into the highest level of lockdown - Level 4 - with all but essential shops closed, and people being told to "stay home" to prevent the spread of the virus and save lives.

Cases of the new strain of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Wales, and Health Minister Vaughan Gething said it was present in every part of the country.

There is no evidence to suggest the new variant reacts differently to vaccines.