Wales’ first minister has criticised Westminster’s decision to remove all countries from the red list as he said a new variant that is more resistant to vaccines will emerge.

Mark Drakeford hit out at the government as he said he is having to re-impose some COVID restrictions due to rising cases.

He said there are several reasons cases are rising, including that Wales had such a successful vaccination programme and low cases in early summer.

And he said SAGE, which advises the government on COVID-19, was “almost certain” a new variant will emerge in the UK.

“There is at least a possibility that that variant will turn out to be more resistant to vaccination than the current one we have,” he said.

Mr Drakeford announced on Thursday measures including self-isolation for fully vaccinated household contacts of positive cases, twice-weekly lateral flow tests for pupils and an encouragement to work from home.

People will also be asked to wear a face covering in indoor public places and the use of COVID passes will be extended to theatres, cinemas and concert halls from 15 November.

Cases have risen in Wales to the highest rates since the pandemic began and Mr Drakeford said he was particularly concerned to see a rise in people over 60 years old getting coronavirus.

He told Sky News’ Vanessa Baffoe: “I think there are some explanations of why we’re in the position we’re in today.

“Wales had a very successful vaccination programme, it may be that we’re seeing the waning impact of that initial vaccination earlier here because of our initial success.

“It’s also the case earlier in the summer, for weeks and weeks, Wales had the lowest level of coronavirus anywhere in the UK and it may be there’s just a greater reservoir of people here in Wales waiting to be infected by the Delta variant, that’s driving the numbers that we see today.

“What is certainly true is numbers at this level are causing harm in the community, are driving more people into hospital and we have to make a concerted effort over the next three or four weeks to bring those numbers down.”

While Wales is bringing back restrictions, it is removing the remaining seven countries on the red travel list, in line with England.

Mr Drakeford said he understands that might seem incongruous but he does not have much choice due to how overseas travel into and out of the UK works.

“When they change the rules in England, in any practical sense it’s impossible for us to do anything different in Wales because almost everybody from Wales who travels abroad or who returns to this country from abroad comes through English ports and airports and then travels on to Wales,” he told Sky News.

He added that he wished the UK government “took a more precautionary approach” to international travel.

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And he said he has been urging Westminster “for a number of weeks” to move to plan B – mandatory face coverings in some settings, a work from home mandate and vaccine certificates in certain scenarios.

“It would certainly help us here in Wales to have a single communication that says across England and Wales we are all taking this virus as seriously as we need to take it as we go into the autumn and winter,” he added.