People should take a lateral flow test before going out Christmas shopping or to a festive party, the Welsh government has said. The first minister, Mark Drakeford, is also asking people to wear face coverings in pubs and restaurants except when they are eating or drinking. Drakeford said he expected cases of the Omicron variant to rise “quickly and sharply”, though there have only been a handful in Wales so far. There will be no new restrictions in Wales when Drakeford announces the results of its regular three-weekly review on Friday. Many of the “plan B” measures the UK government is bringing in for England, such as wearing masks in indoor public places, are already in force in Wales. But the Welsh government has said it is “strongly advising” that people “flow before they go”. This means taking a lateral flow test before going out – for example to a Christmas party, shopping, visiting friends or family, to any crowded or busy place, or before travelling. If the test is positive, they should not go out but arrange for a PCR test and self-isolate, the government said. It is also strongly advising people to wear face coverings in pubs and restaurants when they aren’t eating or drinking. Everyone must already by law wear face coverings in most other indoor public places, including in cinemas and theatres. When Drakeford appears at a press conference in Cardiff on Friday, he is certain to be asked about reports that he argued this week for a lockdown between Christmas and new year during a call with Michael Gove and ministers from the other devolved nations. The Welsh Labour-led government has refused to comment on the claim. On Thursday Drakeford said: “The emergence of the Omicron variant is another worrying development. We are concerned about the speed it is moving and its potential to infect large numbers of people. “We are speeding up the rollout of boosters in response to the new variant. We’re increasing the number of clinics and extending opening hours. Every single vaccination is a small victory against the virus. This will be the best Christmas present you can give yourself and your family this year. “None of us wanted to hear about this new variant. After almost two years of the pandemic, we had all hoped that we could put coronavirus behind us this Christmas. But we have faced challenges many times during this pandemic. And we have learned from each one. We are not back at square one.” The Welsh health minister, Eluned Morgan, said on Tuesday that Omicron cases were expected to reach their peak by the end of January.