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Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in Wales will be forced to stop selling alcohol and close at 6pm in a new round of restrictions starting on the Friday night before Christmas, Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said.
The new regulations that will take effect from 6:00 p.m. on December 4 will also cause cinemas, bowling alleys and other indoor entertainment venues to be forced to close their doors until they are reviewed on December 17.
The announcement comes just three weeks after the end of the 17-day shutdown of the Wales firewall and amid another spike in coronavirus cases, particularly among those under 25 in 17 of the country’s 22 local authorities.
Drakeford told a news conference in Cardiff that scientific and medical advisers believed that unless more restrictions were put in place, the number of people hospitalized in Wales with Covid-19 could rise to 2,200 people on January 12.
The modeling suggested that another 1,600 people could also lose their lives during the winter period, he said.
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Drakeford told the Welsh government press conference: “The actions we are taking are based on what UK SAGE think tanks tell us has worked better elsewhere.”
“Starting at 6:00 pm on Friday, our national measures will be changed to introduce new restrictions for indoor entertainment and hospitality attractions.
“Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will have to close at 6:00 PM and they will not be allowed to serve alcohol. After 6:00 PM, they will only be able to provide takeout services.”
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