PUBS, restaurants and bars in Wales will be subject to stricter Covid-19 restrictions in the run up to Christmas, the First Minister has today confirmed (Nov 27)
The new restrictions, which have not yet been finalised, will come into force from Friday, 4 December.
They may be based on the system in some parts of Scotland where no alcohol can be served.
Cinemas, bowling alleys and indoor entertainment venues will also have to shut before the festive break.
A date for these to close has not yet been agreed.
Mark Drakeford said action was needed as case rates continued to rise in the run up to Christmas.
Pubs, bars and restaurants had only reopened on 9 November after the Wales-wide 17-day lockdown, and are currently made to close at 22:00 HRS.
Paul Davies MS, the Leader of the Opposition in the Welsh Parliament, has responded to today’s announcement, saying:
“This is going to be a real blow for countless hospitality businesses up and down the country, businesses that has suffered greatly over the last eight months.
“We now need to know the details from the Welsh Government because this will create an even more anxious and worrying time for businesses struggling to keep afloat.”
“As before, Welsh Conservatives are calling for targeted interventions, based on hyperlocal data, rather than blanket restrictions on all Wales.”
Speaking at the Welsh Government’s coronavirus briefing, Mr Drakeford said Wales had to use the “coming weeks” to reduce the spread of the virus, to “create more headroom for the Christmas period”.
Mr Drakeford said while case rates had fallen following the 17-day firebreak, as people had resumed socialising it they had risen “faster and further than we anticipated”, and action was needed.
“This does not mean a return to the firebreak arrangements, but the cabinet has agreed to take further specific and targeted action to reinforce the current national measures we have place,” he said.
Mr Drakeford said he could “not rule anything out for the future” in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Speaking of the new measures for pubs, bars and restaurants, Mr Drakeford added: “I know this will be a worrying time for all working in the industry.
“We will be working over the weekend with partners to finalise the details of the new arrangements and to put in place a further major package of financial support to respond to those changes.
“I will give further details about the package on Monday.”
Non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms and leisure centres will stay open, it was confirmed.
Responding to the First Minister’s announcement CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “The news of further restrictions covering the run-up to Christmas – the trade’s busiest time of the year – comes as a bitter blow and is potentially ruinous for our pubs and the local breweries that serve them.
“With speculation that pubs could face a 6 pm curfew and a ban on selling alcohol, the announcement of further details by the First Minister next week will be ‘make or break’ for thousands of community pubs.
“Our locals invested thousands to make their venues COVID-secure and have already had to cope with severely reduced trade as a result of closures, curfews, the fire-breaker and knocked consumer confidence.
“Without a decent, dedicated and sufficient financial support package from the Welsh Government to compensate them for lost trade, these further restrictions could be the final nail in the coffin for pubs and breweries.”
