Wales’ new Covid restrictions explained

First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, announced new Covid restrictions today which will come in to effect when Wales' fire-break lockdown ends.

First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, announced new Covid restrictions today which will come in to effect when Wales’ fire-break lockdown ends on November 9th. People will be able to form household bubbles again and meet in pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants.

The new restrictions will last for a fortnight at which time they will be reviewed.

Wales’ new Covid restrictions

• There will be no travel restrictions within Wales for residents
• Two households will be able to join together to form a bubble
• Only people in these extended households can meet inside their homes
• There will be new arrangements to meet indoors in other settings, such as pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants
• How this will work has not yet been agreed – further discussions take place on Monday afternoon
• In relation to organised activity, up to 15 people can take part in an indoors activity and up to 30 in outdoors activity, providing all social distancing, hand hygiene and other Covid safety measures are followed.
• All schools reopen from Monday, November 9
• Business premises reopen from Monday, November 9
• Places of worship can resume services and council services will resume
• People should avoid non-essential travel and work from home where possible
• Two metre social distancing and the need to wear masks in enclose public distancing remains in place

In Drakeford’s Covid press briefing, he said:

“When the firebreak ends next Monday, there will be a new set of national measures, which will replace the previous local restrictions. But more important than any rules, regulations or guidance, which we put in place will be the way each one of us responds to the virus. We can introduce new laws but these will only be successful if we all of us do everything we can to reduce our exposure to the virus by keeping the contacts we have with other people to a minimum – at home; in work and when we go out. We need to do the minimum – not the maximum, which the rules allow. Our real strength lies in the choices we make and the actions we take together. Each of us has an important part to play in slowing the spread of coronavirus in Wales and saving lives – we cannot do this without your help. Everyone has made so many sacrifices this year already. To make sure we do not lose all this hard work, we need to carry on looking after each other and keeping ourselves safe. This is a virus which thrives on human contact. Social contact is important to all of us but to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, we need to think carefully about all our meetings and contacts with other people and try and reduce them to reduce our risk of infection. Rather than us asking what we can or can’t do, we need to ask ourselves what should we be doing to keep our families safe. Government rules and regulations are here to help. But the real strength we have is in the choices we make and the actions we take together.”