WELSH schools could open sooner than those in England due to Wales’s lower rate of coronavirus transmission, First Minister Mark Drakeford said today.

The Welsh Labour leader said he hoped to “take advantage” of the situation if Covid cases continue to fall by facilitating a phased school reopening from February 22, the week after half-term.

Younger primary school pupils would be prioritised for a return to classrooms, he added.

Wales currently has a rate of 170 cases per 100,000 of its population, down from 270 per 100,000 last Friday.

The country’s R number — the average number of secondary infections produced by a single infected person — is an estimated 0.7, while England’s is estimated at between 0.8 and 1.

Despite the promising decline in cases, Mr Drakeford said it is too early to relax the stringent lockdown which has been in force since December 20. He said the Tier 4 rules will stay in place for three more weeks.

The First Minister told a press briefing: “Getting young people back into school and college for face-to-face learning is our priority.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have the headroom to do this yet. As soon as we do, we want schools and colleges to begin to reopen.”