Wales coronavirus rules: up to four people will be able to gather in cafes and pubs after fire

The Prime Minister of Wales has said that up to four people will be able to meet in cafes and pubs under the new coronavirus rules after the fire lockdown ends.

The limit of four will be implemented after hearing from young, single people who made it clear how important socializing was to them, Mark Drakeford said Tuesday.

Drakeford confirmed that all stores, gyms and other venues that are normally open to the public, but were supposed to close during the fire outage, will be able to reopen beginning Monday, November 9.

For starters, Drakeford has asked people to visit these places in as small a group as possible, which means that for many it will only be the people they live with. The four person limit only applies to a group that is not in a single household. It means, for example, that a family of six, who all live as one house, can still go to the pub or restaurant together and would not break the rules.

He said: “We have listened to those young people and singles who told us how important it is for them to meet some friends and other family members.

“Therefore, the regulations will allow groups of up to four people to meet in a regulated setting, such as a restaurant, cafe or pub. But this is subject to strict protections discussed with the hospitality industry, including early booking, Limited time slots and verified identification. As in all aspects of our lives, maintaining the basic principles of good hygiene and keeping your distance will be crucial in these settings. “

Drakeford cautioned that this did not give people carte blanche to go out and socialize uncontrollably, but rather emphasized that people must still follow social distancing measures.

He added: “This is a permit, not something we are encouraging people to do. It is the most challenging change from a public health perspective and will be kept under continuous review. Its success depends on the actions of the sector and of each other. of us “use this permission responsibly and in moderation.”

Drakeford said the 10 p.m. curfew on alcohol sales would be in place for now. You can follow the latest news and how companies respond to the latest announcement on our live blog.

Certain organized activities will be allowed for groups of up to 15 people indoors and 30 people outdoors, with risk assessments and all reasonable steps taken to minimize the risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. These activities may not involve the sale or consumption of alcohol. People will also not be able to gather in the gardens with anyone other than their extended family, it has been confirmed. Read more about it, here.

Drakeford said he had tried to keep the new national rules “as simple as possible” and that local travel restrictions would not be reapplied.

“People will be able to travel anywhere within Wales but we ask everyone to behave responsibly, stay close to home and continue to limit their contact with others,” he said.

“We all have to take steps to stay safe. Many people have made great sacrifices to live within the rules before the firewall. I am grateful to them. During the winter period, we all must live our lives differently so that the effort that we have done together it is not in vain and we do not have to undergo any more firewalls later in the year.

“We all need to keep our contact with each other to an absolute minimum, keep the circle of people we know as small as possible, and consider other ways to keep in touch.”