Welsh ban on sale of non-essential items in stores to end on 22 March  

Wales will begin the slow relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown rules on Saturday, allowing up to four people to meet outdoors and starting a return to school for most children, its government said on Friday.

Different parts of Britain set their own lockdown rules, and Wales with a population of just over 3 million has seen some of the toughest restrictions.

Most shops have been closed since 20 December and supermarkets are banned from selling clothes, toys, electrical goods and any other items that the Welsh government has deemed non-essential.

"We will make step-by-step changes each week to gradually restore freedoms," Wales's First Minister Mark Drakeford said in a statement.

Curbs on meeting people outside will be the first to ease, with the public required to "stay local" rather than "stay at home". From Monday school children aged up to 11, plus older pupils who would normally sit exams, will return to class.

Barbers and hairdressers will also be allowed to reopen for pre-booked appointments on Monday - a rare case of the Welsh government moving more rapidly than authorities in England, where it will not be possible to get a haircut before mid-April.

Supermarkets will continue to be banned from selling non-essential items until 22 March and other shops will reopen on April 12.

Official data on Thursday showed that the number of deaths from COVID-19 across the UK had exceeded 125,000, the highest death toll in Europe.

But the daily number of new deaths has fallen sharply in recent weeks to its lowest since October, reflecting the rapid roll-out of vaccinations. Over 40 per cent of British adults have now received at least one vaccine dose.