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Wales’ new national measures to combat the coronavirus have come into effect following the end of the country’s 17-day “firewall” lockdown.
Groups of up to four people can now meet in cafes, pubs and restaurants, while shops, gyms, hair salons and places of worship will also reopen.
Supermarkets can re-sell non-essential items, while people will only be able to meet inside households with members of another household if they have come together in a “bubble”.
The 10pm curfew on alcohol sales will be moved from before the firewall, and people will need to prove their address at bars due to concerns that people in England could circumvent their own lockdown and travel to Wales to have a drink.
There are no restrictions on travel within Wales, but people will not be allowed to travel outside the country unless they have a reasonable excuse, such as work.
Dr. Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, said that although the firewall lockdown had ended, people’s behavior had yet to change. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Monday: “By getting out of this firewall, we can’t just go back to the behavior we had before. We still have to work differently. “
When asked if people traveling between England and Wales could be detained, Dr Atherton said that with England under national blockade there was no reason to cross the border.
He added: “Right now England is entering their lockdown so there is no reason for people to travel from Wales to England. When England comes out of its lockdown, we will absolutely have to rethink how people travel. “
In the final week of the Wales shutdown, the number of hospital admissions for Covid-19 surpassed the levels of the previous peak of the virus in April.
The Welsh government also faced calls to extend restrictions in areas of the South Wales valleys, including Merthyr Tydfil, which became the UK’s hardest hit area last week with 741 cases per 100,000 people, as highs transmission levels continue to rise.
New Wales national measures as of Monday include:
• The need to maintain a social distancing of 2 meters and wear face masks in closed public places, including public transport and taxis.
• The requirement to work from home will be maintained whenever possible.
• People should only meet their “bubble” in their own home and only two households can form a “bubble”. If a person from either household develops symptoms, everyone should isolate themselves immediately.
• People will be able to gather in groups of up to four people from separate households (not including children under the age of 11) in regulated indoor venues such as hospitality: bars, pubs, coffee shops and restaurants.
• Up to 15 people can participate in an organized indoor activity and up to 30 in an organized outdoor activity, as long as all social distancing, hand hygiene, and other Covid-19 safety measures are followed.
• People should avoid non-essential travel as much as possible. There will be no legal restrictions on travel within Wales for residents, but international travel must be for essential reasons only.
Elementary schools and Years 7 and 8 in high schools remained open during the closure except for the midterm recess, but all schools and year groups will resume starting Monday.
Universities will resume a combination of classroom teaching and blended learning.
