Here's a chain of events that shows just how problematic the new variant of the coronavirus is:
Today's announcement
November 25th: a common four-nation plan for the Christmas period agreed between 23 and 27 of December with up to three households able to meet in an exclusive Christmas ‘bubble.
December 10th: schools asked to go to online learning for the last week of the autumn term.
December 11th: Welsh government first published a revised coronavirus plan, introducing us to four alert levels and stating that Wales is at level three. The plan is revised on December 14th.
December 11th: secondary schools asked to go to online learning for the last week of the autumn term. Primary schools close on December 16th.
December 16th: Welsh government will move Wales to alter level 4 on December 28th, after the five day Christmas period. Restrictions at level four would be equivalent to the firebreak regulations or lockdown. These could either be deployed as a preventative firebreak or as a lockdown measure.
December 18th: the exclusive Christmas 'bubble' is reduced to two households from three but still over the five day period.
January 4th: Welsh government statement that Wales alongside the UK will move Wales to alter level five†, a level previously not within the Welsh government's previous 1-4 level plan.
January 4th: The flexibility offered to schools in the first two weeks of term to decide when to reopen based on local circumstances is rescinded. Education settings being open can contribute to wider social mixing outside the school environment. All schools, colleges and independent schools therefore move to online learning until January 18th. This means that Brynhyfryd and primary schools due to phase face-to-face from 11th cannot do so. Brynhyfryd does open tomorrow for vulnerable children and pupils of key workers, as planned. Primaries follow suit on Wednesday.
† This is Joint Biosecurity Council level 5
Update 8/1/21: "And unless there is a significant reduction in cases of coronavirus before 29 January— the date of the next three-week review of the regulations—school and college students will continue to learn online until the February half term."