Wales will impose a “firebreak” lockdown for 17 days in a bid to slow the rising rates of coronavirus across the country. Since the outbreak began earlier this year, there have been 35,628 cases of COVID-19 equating to a rate of 1,130 per 100,000 people. Express.co.uk has compiled a full list of all the new lockdown rules in Wales.
From Friday, October 23 people in Wales will be put under new lockdown rules.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said the “time-limited ‘firebreak'” will be “a short, sharp, shock to turn back the clock, slow down the virus and buy us more time”.
Figures in Wales currently stand at 130 coronavirus cases per 100,000 over the past seven days.
In total, 4,127 new cases were reported from October 9 to 15.
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On Monday, Mr Drakeford said there “has to be an effort in which every single person and every single part of Wales makes a contribution”.
He added the new measures were made with “a heavy heart”.
He said: “We all want to see an end to this pandemic and our lives returned to us. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a vaccine, which will allow us to do that.
“So this is our best chance of regaining control of the virus and avoiding a much-longer – and damaging – national lockdown.”
What are the new lockdown rules in Wales?
The rules being imposed this week for 17 days are akin to those implemented in March.
These rules include the following measures:
- People will have to stay at home except for very limited reasons, such as exercise
- People must work from home where they can
- People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with either indoors and outdoors
- All non-food retail will shut, and cafes, restaurants and pubs will close unless they provide delivery or takeaways
- Hotels, hairdressers and beauticians will have to shut
- Primary schools open after the half-term week and secondary schools will open only to Year 7 and Year 8 pupils
- Places of worship to be closed except for weddings and funerals
- The circuit break will last until Monday, November 9.
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Those who breach the rules could be fined, with fixed penalty notices beginning at £60 rising to £120 for a second breach.
Solo adults or single parents are permitted to join with one other household from anywhere in Wales for support.
Face masks and social distancing rules which are currently in place will continue to apply.
The new rules mean Halloween and Bonfire Night gatherings will not be permitted.
But there will be an exception for small Remembrance Sunday commemoration services on November 8.
Mr Drakeford added non-essential cross border travel in and out of Wales “will have to end”.
The new measures came after repeated requests from the Welsh Government to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to impose travel restrictions in England for those living in towns and cities with a high number of cases.
Anyone living in the UK with high levels of COVID-19 is now unable to travel to the devolved nation “without a reasonable excuse”.
This travel ban includes Tier 2 and 3 regions in England, as well as all of Northern Ireland and the central belt of Scotland.
The Welsh First Minister also unveiled plans for a £300m economic resilience fund to help businesses through the 17-day period.
Every eligible firm covered by small businesses rates relief will be given a £1,000 payment.
Small and medium-sized retail, leisure and hospitality firms that have to close will get a one-off payment of up to £5,000.
There will also be additional discretionary grants, support for smaller firms and the new Job Support Scheme.
