The group said it expected a UK recession to hit demand for building materials this year and in 2021.
It said it had started a consultation process with staff at about 165 branches, about 8% of its network.
The group includes Wickes, Toolstation and Tile Giant. It said closures would mainly be of smaller branches of its Travis Perkins General Merchant brand.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Covid guidance for higher education
The Welsh Government has published its Covid-19 guidance for higher education.
It outlines some of the measures providers may need to follow in order to protect the health of students, staff and the communities they serve.
For the time being, it says most teaching and learning will continue
to be delivered online.
It also says that students who have left student accommodation and
returned home should remain at home this term.
No Glamorgan cricket matches outside Cardiff in 2020
Glamorgan County Cricket Club says it will not stage any matches outside Cardiff this year as discussions continue on how the 2020 season could go ahead.
Chief Executive Hugh Morris said: “We were looking forward to our annual fixtures in Swansea and Colwyn Bay, and taking one-day cricket to Newport for our 2020 season.
"It is with regret that we today announce that the logistical challenges of hosting outground cricket simply cannot be met in this current, uncertain climate."
Morris said the domestic fixture schedule for 2020 was yet to be determined, but added: "If cricket is able to safely return, our focus for the season will be on hosting all matches at our main venue, Sophia Gardens.
"We remain committed to taking Glamorgan games across Wales for wider communities to enjoy, when we are able to do so safely and securely.”
No return to 'pre-pandemic normal' says first minister
Lifting Covid-19 restrictions will not see a return to the “pre-pandemic normal”, Wales' first minister has warned.
Mark Drakeford said there could be a second wave of coronavirus cases even though the disease had receded.
The leader of the Welsh Government told a press conference the virus remained present in Wales.
“That is why we will continue to need to take precautions and measures to prevent the spread.” he said.
Video content
Video caption: Coronavirus: Normality will not resume when lockdown is lifted, First Minister warnsCoronavirus: Normality will not resume when lockdown is lifted, First Minister warns
Powys trials click-and-collect library service
A click-and-collect library service is being trialled in Powys because of coronavirus.
The county council said its libraries would not be open for browsing and that safety remained its priority.
"Collections
will be quarantined for 72 hours before they are collected," a spokesman said.
"Readers are also
advised to quarantine books again for a further 72 hours once received, and to
wash hands before and after reading."
Similar services are also running at other Welsh councils, including Cardiff and Torfaen.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Drivers 'causing confict' over social distancing
Drivers have been moving cones from a street where they had been placed to allow socially-distanced shopping.
One Twitter user wrote on the site that motorists on Wellfield Road, Cardiff, had been "causing conflict" with pedestrians when told they were not allowed to park.
Cardiff Council said the cones will be replaced by "bolt down units" but that in the meantime there would be increased parking patrols.
The Swansea Bay 10k, which was set to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It has been rescheduled for 19 September 2021.
A statement from organisers said: "It has become clear that although restrictions are gradually being relaxed, there is no indication that mass gatherings of this nature will be able to return in time to be able to safely stage the event this September."
Brecon WaterCopyright: Brecon Water
A look at the number of deaths announced each day
Public Health Wales (PHW) publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.
This graph shows the number of deaths each day since March on the day they occurred, not when they were announced.
BBCCopyright: BBC
How many people have died with Covid-19 in each health board area?
Four more people have died with Covid-19 in Wales, Public Health Wales has announced.
This map shows how many people have died with the virus in each health board area.
BBCCopyright: BBC
BreakingFour more die with Covid-19
Four more people with coronavirus are
reported to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,448.
Public
Health Wales (PHW) figures also showed there were 62 new cases reported,
meaning 14,804 people have tested positive for Covid-19.
PHW publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.
The figures for deaths are revised and numbers added to the correct date retrospectively.
People with cancer symptoms urged not to delay
People who think they have symptoms of cancer should not delay in making an appointment with their GP, a health board says.
Practices have remained open during the coronavirus crisis, with measures in place to make sure patients can be safely assessed.
Visitors 'need to be welcomed' when tourism reopens
Wales' first minister has stressed the need for community support for when restrictions are relaxed to allow tourism to resume.
Mark Drakeford said a test – although not particularly “hard edged” – for reopening attractions is that tourists need to be “welcomed when they get there”.
“If we reopen tourism in parts of Wales, when visitors arrive, they will need to know that their presence there is welcome in those local communities,” he said.
No regular talks with UK government, says Wales' first minister
First Minister Mark Drakeford has claimed there is a lack of talks between the UK government and Welsh ministers over the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Drakeford said he had last spoken to Prime Minister Boris Johnson two weeks ago.
At the Welsh Government's daily press briefing, he said he had had "no discussion" with any UK minister, with the exception of Welsh Secretary Simon Hart since then.
But he said there was still discussion between officials
“In terms of what I have wanted to see - that regular reliable rhythm of meetings with UK ministers - and the 'stop-start' arrangements we've had, I'm afraid we've been in a 'stop' part of that cycle for more than two weeks.”
The first minister has said Wales' lower R rate is a "sign of success" rather than an "inducement" to lift lockdown restrictions.
The R rate in Wales is now down from 0.8 to 0.7.
On relaxing restrictions, Mark Drakeford said he wanted to take "maximum advantage of the headroom we have while it remains in the bounds of safe public practice".
But he said he would "only put forward measures on Friday of this week that the chief medical officer has endorsed",
Mr Drakeford also defended the relative caution of the Welsh Government in lifting restrictions compared to the UK government, when the R rate was lower in Wales than in England.
"It's the way we have done things in Wales that has resulted in the R figure that you refer to," he said.
"This is a sign of a success of the way we have done things, rather than an inducement to do an awful lot very quickly."
No return to pre-pandemic normal, says first minister
Any easing of lockdown on Friday will not mean a return to the pre-pandemic normal, Wales' first minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said ministers were looking at three areas, including the reopening of non-essential shops, reopening of schools on 29 June, and relaxing more restrictions on outdoor activities.
He said shops would be "well prepared" before reopening, if ministers were advised to give the green light on Friday.
The first minister said the sector had put in place "new arrangements" such as safe ways for shoppers to enter and leave stores, social distancing in shops, and protection for retail employees.
Mr Drakeford said he was keen for the economy to reopen in Wales but stressed that public health must come first "as that was best for our economy".
Reopening shops in Wales 'being considered'
Plans to reopen shops "carefully" are being considered as part of moves to ease lockdown in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakford has said.
Today, non-essential shops in England have reopened.
But in Wales all retailers, apart from those deemed essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, have been closed since the start of lockdown in March.
The Welsh Government is due to review lockdown restrictions on Friday.
Mr Drakeford said reopening non-essential shops and further relaxing restrictions on outdoors activity are being considered by the Welsh Government.
He said ministers were “looking and learning from the experiences of other countries around the world”, and did not want things to reopen too soon and then have to close again.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Mr Drakeford said that they were making sure businesses were going to be ready to safely open, should the Welsh Government be in "a position" to make such an announcement on Friday.
“In many countries where cafes have reopened they are opening outside only because the virus doesn’t survive for as long outdoors as it does indoors,” he said.
But other countries have reintroduced restrictions “because lockdown has led to cases of increasing”.
Mr Drakeford added that it would not mean a return to the pre-pandemic normal.
“While the virus has receded and fewer people are becoming ill, coronavirus has not gone away – it continues to be present in Wales and there is still a risk we will face a second wave of illness later in the year,” he said.
Wales' testing capacity up to 12,300 a day
First Minister Mark Drakeford says Wales now has the capacity to carry out 12,300 coronavirus tests every day, as well as separate home tests.
He told today's press briefing that more than 3,000 tests are being conducted every day in Wales and in the last 24 hours just over 30 were positive.
“This is a very different situation to the final weeks of March, when we went into lockdown,” he said.
“At that time, cases of coronavirus were increasing rapidly – we were seeing around 400 confirmed cases every day and there would have been even more people with the virus in the community.”
“The risk of meeting someone with the disease was rising too, while now it continues to fall.”
BBCCopyright: BBC
Number of deaths in Wales continues to fall, says first minister
The number of deaths continues to fall in Wales, the first minister has said.
On Saturday, Public Health Wales reported three further deaths of people with coronavirus.
Mark Drakeford said this was the lowest in a single day "for some time", but he said this did not mean the "virus has gone away".
He told the daily Welsh Government press conference an analysis of deaths across the UK from the Office for National Statistics showed that when age is taken into account, England has the highest rate per population of coronavirus deaths, followed by Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Within Wales at health board level the lowest death rates were seen in the Hywel Dda area; rates in Powys and Betsi Cadwaladr were below the Wales average.
The highest rates were seen in Cardiff and Vale and the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board areas.
“The number of deaths from coronavirus continues to fall in each of recent weeks,” he said.
But Mr Drakeford said he recognised “every single death as a tragedy for every family involved”.
Live Reporting
Nicola Bryan, James McCarthy, Ceri Coleman-Phillips and Andy Roberts
All times stated are UK
-
The reopening of non-essential shops is on the table at the next review of Wales' lockdown restrictions, First Minister Mark Drakeford told a press conference
-
There are concerns for the future of nurseries and pre-school childcare when the Welsh Government stops a funding "lifeline" this week
-
Parents having a surrogate baby should be allowed to be present at the birth and care for the newborn despite coronavirus, a help group says
-
Students are starting to return to further education colleges across Wales as the lockdown eases
- Four more people with coronavirus were reported to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,444, according to Public Health Wales
View more on twitterView more on twitter 
ReutersCopyright: Reuters View more on twitterView more on twitter View more on twitterView more on twitter Video caption: Coronavirus: Normality will not resume when lockdown is lifted, First Minister warnsCoronavirus: Normality will not resume when lockdown is lifted, First Minister warns 
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images View more on twitterView more on twitter 
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BBCCopyright: BBC 
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Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images 
BBCCopyright: BBC
Latest PostGoodbye
That's it for our live page coverage of coronavirus in Wales today.
We'll be back tomorrow with more updates.
Here's a recap of the main developments today:
Painted stones brighten up police patrol
Police in Pontllanfraith, Caerphilly county, have shared a photo of a number of painted rocks they discovered in the area.
The Kindness Rock Project is a viral trend where people, often children, paint pebbles or cobbles and leave them for others to find.
Many have used the opportunity to thank key workers during the pandemic.
Wickes owner Travis Perkins to cut 2,500 jobs
The UK's biggest builders' merchant, Travis Perkins, plans to cut about 2,500 jobs, or 9% of its workforce.
The group said it expected a UK recession to hit demand for building materials this year and in 2021.
It said it had started a consultation process with staff at about 165 branches, about 8% of its network.
The group includes Wickes, Toolstation and Tile Giant. It said closures would mainly be of smaller branches of its Travis Perkins General Merchant brand.
Covid guidance for higher education
The Welsh Government has published its Covid-19 guidance for higher education.
It outlines some of the measures providers may need to follow in order to protect the health of students, staff and the communities they serve.
For the time being, it says most teaching and learning will continue to be delivered online.
It also says that students who have left student accommodation and returned home should remain at home this term.
No Glamorgan cricket matches outside Cardiff in 2020
Glamorgan County Cricket Club says it will not stage any matches outside Cardiff this year as discussions continue on how the 2020 season could go ahead.
Chief Executive Hugh Morris said: “We were looking forward to our annual fixtures in Swansea and Colwyn Bay, and taking one-day cricket to Newport for our 2020 season.
"It is with regret that we today announce that the logistical challenges of hosting outground cricket simply cannot be met in this current, uncertain climate."
Morris said the domestic fixture schedule for 2020 was yet to be determined, but added: "If cricket is able to safely return, our focus for the season will be on hosting all matches at our main venue, Sophia Gardens.
"We remain committed to taking Glamorgan games across Wales for wider communities to enjoy, when we are able to do so safely and securely.”
No return to 'pre-pandemic normal' says first minister
Lifting Covid-19 restrictions will not see a return to the “pre-pandemic normal”, Wales' first minister has warned.
Mark Drakeford said there could be a second wave of coronavirus cases even though the disease had receded.
The leader of the Welsh Government told a press conference the virus remained present in Wales.
“That is why we will continue to need to take precautions and measures to prevent the spread.” he said.
Video content
Powys trials click-and-collect library service
A click-and-collect library service is being trialled in Powys because of coronavirus.
The county council said its libraries would not be open for browsing and that safety remained its priority.
"Collections will be quarantined for 72 hours before they are collected," a spokesman said.
"Readers are also advised to quarantine books again for a further 72 hours once received, and to wash hands before and after reading."
Similar services are also running at other Welsh councils, including Cardiff and Torfaen.
Drivers 'causing confict' over social distancing
Drivers have been moving cones from a street where they had been placed to allow socially-distanced shopping.
One Twitter user wrote on the site that motorists on Wellfield Road, Cardiff, had been "causing conflict" with pedestrians when told they were not allowed to park.
Cardiff Council said the cones will be replaced by "bolt down units" but that in the meantime there would be increased parking patrols.
Wellfield Road will be trialled as a pilot for post-lockdown shopping.
While all shops in England and Northern Ireland can now open, in Wales no opening dates have been given.
Swansea Bay 10k postponed
The Swansea Bay 10k, which was set to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It has been rescheduled for 19 September 2021.
A statement from organisers said: "It has become clear that although restrictions are gradually being relaxed, there is no indication that mass gatherings of this nature will be able to return in time to be able to safely stage the event this September."
A look at the number of deaths announced each day
Public Health Wales (PHW) publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.
This graph shows the number of deaths each day since March on the day they occurred, not when they were announced.
How many people have died with Covid-19 in each health board area?
Four more people have died with Covid-19 in Wales, Public Health Wales has announced.
This map shows how many people have died with the virus in each health board area.
BreakingFour more die with Covid-19
Four more people with coronavirus are reported to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,448.
Public Health Wales (PHW) figures also showed there were 62 new cases reported, meaning 14,804 people have tested positive for Covid-19.
PHW publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.
The figures for deaths are revised and numbers added to the correct date retrospectively.
People with cancer symptoms urged not to delay
People who think they have symptoms of cancer should not delay in making an appointment with their GP, a health board says.
Practices have remained open during the coronavirus crisis, with measures in place to make sure patients can be safely assessed.
Visitors 'need to be welcomed' when tourism reopens
Wales' first minister has stressed the need for community support for when restrictions are relaxed to allow tourism to resume.
Mark Drakeford said a test – although not particularly “hard edged” – for reopening attractions is that tourists need to be “welcomed when they get there”.
“If we reopen tourism in parts of Wales, when visitors arrive, they will need to know that their presence there is welcome in those local communities,” he said.
No regular talks with UK government, says Wales' first minister
First Minister Mark Drakeford has claimed there is a lack of talks between the UK government and Welsh ministers over the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Drakeford said he had last spoken to Prime Minister Boris Johnson two weeks ago.
At the Welsh Government's daily press briefing, he said he had had "no discussion" with any UK minister, with the exception of Welsh Secretary Simon Hart since then.
But he said there was still discussion between officials
“In terms of what I have wanted to see - that regular reliable rhythm of meetings with UK ministers - and the 'stop-start' arrangements we've had, I'm afraid we've been in a 'stop' part of that cycle for more than two weeks.”
Wales' R rate a 'sign of success', says Drakeford
The first minister has said Wales' lower R rate is a "sign of success" rather than an "inducement" to lift lockdown restrictions.
The R rate in Wales is now down from 0.8 to 0.7.
On relaxing restrictions, Mark Drakeford said he wanted to take "maximum advantage of the headroom we have while it remains in the bounds of safe public practice".
But he said he would "only put forward measures on Friday of this week that the chief medical officer has endorsed",
Mr Drakeford also defended the relative caution of the Welsh Government in lifting restrictions compared to the UK government, when the R rate was lower in Wales than in England.
"It's the way we have done things in Wales that has resulted in the R figure that you refer to," he said.
"This is a sign of a success of the way we have done things, rather than an inducement to do an awful lot very quickly."
No return to pre-pandemic normal, says first minister
Any easing of lockdown on Friday will not mean a return to the pre-pandemic normal, Wales' first minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said ministers were looking at three areas, including the reopening of non-essential shops, reopening of schools on 29 June, and relaxing more restrictions on outdoor activities.
He said shops would be "well prepared" before reopening, if ministers were advised to give the green light on Friday.
The first minister said the sector had put in place "new arrangements" such as safe ways for shoppers to enter and leave stores, social distancing in shops, and protection for retail employees.
Mr Drakeford said he was keen for the economy to reopen in Wales but stressed that public health must come first "as that was best for our economy".
Reopening shops in Wales 'being considered'
Plans to reopen shops "carefully" are being considered as part of moves to ease lockdown in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakford has said.
Today, non-essential shops in England have reopened.
But in Wales all retailers, apart from those deemed essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, have been closed since the start of lockdown in March.
The Welsh Government is due to review lockdown restrictions on Friday.
Mr Drakeford said reopening non-essential shops and further relaxing restrictions on outdoors activity are being considered by the Welsh Government.
He said ministers were “looking and learning from the experiences of other countries around the world”, and did not want things to reopen too soon and then have to close again.
Mr Drakeford said that they were making sure businesses were going to be ready to safely open, should the Welsh Government be in "a position" to make such an announcement on Friday.
“In many countries where cafes have reopened they are opening outside only because the virus doesn’t survive for as long outdoors as it does indoors,” he said.
But other countries have reintroduced restrictions “because lockdown has led to cases of increasing”.
Mr Drakeford added that it would not mean a return to the pre-pandemic normal.
“While the virus has receded and fewer people are becoming ill, coronavirus has not gone away – it continues to be present in Wales and there is still a risk we will face a second wave of illness later in the year,” he said.
Wales' testing capacity up to 12,300 a day
First Minister Mark Drakeford says Wales now has the capacity to carry out 12,300 coronavirus tests every day, as well as separate home tests.
He told today's press briefing that more than 3,000 tests are being conducted every day in Wales and in the last 24 hours just over 30 were positive.
“This is a very different situation to the final weeks of March, when we went into lockdown,” he said.
“At that time, cases of coronavirus were increasing rapidly – we were seeing around 400 confirmed cases every day and there would have been even more people with the virus in the community.”
“The risk of meeting someone with the disease was rising too, while now it continues to fall.”
Number of deaths in Wales continues to fall, says first minister
The number of deaths continues to fall in Wales, the first minister has said.
On Saturday, Public Health Wales reported three further deaths of people with coronavirus.
Mark Drakeford said this was the lowest in a single day "for some time", but he said this did not mean the "virus has gone away".
He told the daily Welsh Government press conference an analysis of deaths across the UK from the Office for National Statistics showed that when age is taken into account, England has the highest rate per population of coronavirus deaths, followed by Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Within Wales at health board level the lowest death rates were seen in the Hywel Dda area; rates in Powys and Betsi Cadwaladr were below the Wales average.
The highest rates were seen in Cardiff and Vale and the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board areas.
“The number of deaths from coronavirus continues to fall in each of recent weeks,” he said.
But Mr Drakeford said he recognised “every single death as a tragedy for every family involved”.