THE fourth review of coronavirus measures in Wales in three weeks time should see more restrictions eased for socialising and retail - but it is unlikely that gyms and pubs will be able to open so soon.

The next review of restrictions will prioritise getting more people back to school and college.

The aim is to have all primary school pupils back into classrooms on March 15, said First Minister Mark Drakeford during Friday's third review.

There will also be a focus on getting some older pupils back into school and college for blended learning.

And the Welsh Government will also consider reopening some non-essential retails and close-contact services.

However, there is unlikely to be much movement on allowing gyms and the hospitality industry to reopen.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said there were no plans to reopen gyms in Wales at present due to advice from scientists that the Kent variant of coronavirus made doing so “more challenging”.

Mr Drakeford said: “The advice that I have seen from our scientific community is that the Kent variant, which is so much more transmissible, makes gyms a more challenging sector to reopen than before the Kent variant took hold.

“So I’m afraid there isn’t a prospect that gyms and leisure centres and so on will open by the middle of March, and it may be some while after that before we can safely return to doing so, at least indoors and in the conventional way.

“The gym sector did a great job last year and did a great deal in using outdoor spaces, conducting classes outdoors, providing facilities in the open air.

“But gyms as we conventionally think of them, I’m afraid, are going to be more of a challenge to reopen this year than even last year.”

Mr Drakeford said he was listening to the concerns of the hospitality sector.

"Too much too soon will simply return us to those very difficult days we saw before Christmas," he said.

He added that businesses don't want to "stop-start".

"In the long term it is better for them and for us all to do this in a way which can be properly sustained."

Non-essential retailers and close contact services like hair salons could be allowed to start to reopen as part of the next review - but it will not be all at once.

"We are going to have conversations with the sector in the coming weeks to work through what this means for the sector.

Mr Drakeford said: "Last year we reopened hairdressers before other close contact services, and it is likely that we will want another phased approach to that.

"Think of how we have approached schools. We spoke about a week of flexibility."We will need some flexibility in all of this and will need to have a discussion with the sector itself.

"We will need to return in a way that is safe as possible for people."

"We are not saying that every business across the board will all be able to open on the first day in every part of Wales.

"We are talking about a path in which we build things up.

"We are at a tipping point. On the one hand we have things that are better than last year, with vaccination, on the other side of the ledger we have new variants.

"It is going to be a continuous matter of weighing that all up and learning as we go along."