OFF TOPIC: CORONAVIRUS IN WALES

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Newport's parks to reopen on Monday

Newport's parks will reopen on Monday 11 May.

The council says all its gated parks have been closed since lockdown and will remain closed over the bank holiday weekend.

From Monday gates will be open between 08:00 and 16:00 BST but the following areas will remain closed:

Play areas

Outdoor gym equipment or facilities like mini golf

Games facilities and tennis courts

Public toilets and changing rooms

Sports pitches for matches

But the council says people should still not travel to exercise in the parks.

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Welsh Government to reveal lockdown plans later

Wales' first minister will later outline how and when lockdown adjustments may be made

Mark Drakeford's approach is expected to be cautious and comes after Downing Street conceded Wales and the other UK nations can move differently on easing the restrictions.

Welsh ministers met twice on Thursday to discuss their formal review of the Welsh stay-at-home regulations, which must be completed every three weeks.

Their announcement will be made two days ahead of when Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to set out the plan for England.

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'Modest' changes to the guidelines

As he announced earlier on Friday, Mr Drakeford said he was making "small, modest" adjustments to the current guidelines.

These are:

People will be able to exercise outside more than once a day, but only locally and not a significant distance from home

Garden centres will be able to open to the public provided they maintain 2m social-distancing

Local authorities have been told to prepare plans to reopen municipal buildings such as libraries and leisure centres

This easing of restrictions does not apply to the 120,000 people told to shield by the Welsh government, he adds.

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Wales: Covid-19 deaths rise to 1,099

Public Health Wales have said that 9 more people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the country's death toll to 1,099. The number of positive cases in the country now stands at 11,121.

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Rhondda Cynon Taff has highest rate of coronavirus cases in Wales

The highest rate of confirmed cases of people with Covid-19 as a proportion of the population is in Rhondda Cynon Taff, according to official statistics.

Public Health Wales figures show that the council area has had 1,268 cases of coronavirus, with 28 new cases confirmed in today's figures.

This is the equivalent of 528 cases per 100,000 of the population, the highest rate in Wales.

Earlier, before today's figures were published, Dr Nerys Conway, who works in the Royal Glamorgan hospital, urged people to stay at home as figures appeared to show the area had the highest Covid-19 rate in the UK.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said that "this should concern everyone".

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Welsh advice 'not changed', says FM

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, says his government will "continue to make decisions which are right for Wales".

After Boris Johnson's speech, the Labour politician published a video, pledging to use "information and expert advice about how coronavirus is circulating here to keep us safe".

The country's government set out "modest changes" on Friday, including allowing people to exercise more and for garden centres to open.

However, it is sticking to the "stay at home" message, rather than changing in line with the PM's new "stay alert" campaign.

"Our advice has not changed in Wales," he says.

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, said the prime minister had "acted tonight as England’s prime minister - not a responsible one either".

He accused Johnson's message as "confusing and dangerous", and accused the UK government of "cutting itself adrift" of the three other nation's approaches.