First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “We are preparing to take this action to prevent people who live in areas where there are higher COVID infection rates across the UK from travelling to Wales and bringing the virus with them.”
The ban will come into force from 5pm on Friday.
Under the new rules, people will be banned from entering and leaving an affected area without a reasonabvle excuse such as work or education.
People in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will also not be able to travel to Wales.
Earlier today Mr Drakeford told the Welsh Parliament he was forced to impose the new restrictions after Prime Minister Boris Johnson failed to reply to his requests for travel restrictions.
“I have therefore asked for the necessary work to be brought forward, which would allow for devolved powers to be used to prevent people from travelling into Wales from high-prevalence areas of the United Kingdom,” he said.
He added it was “important” to emphasise that it was not an issue regarding the border between Wales and England but a “matter of fairness”.
“We’ve already heard from the First Minister of Scotland and she’s eager to support what we’re trying to do here. Now is the time for the Prime Minister to do the same thing,” Mr Drakeford told the Senedd.
“If he isn’t willing to do so then the timetable is for us to use the powers in Wales by the end of the week.”
The Welsh Government’s plans will bring people elsewhere in the UK in line with measures currently in place in the 17 areas of Wales under local lockdown restrictions.
Earlier on Wednesday, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she backed Mr Drakeford’s calls for the UK Government to introduce travel restrictions on people in areas with high levels of coronavirus.
More to follow…
