All non-essential shops will be forced to close in Wales after Christmas Eve while tighter lockdown restrictions for household mixing and staying-at-home guidance will be introduced from 28 December.
Mark Drakeford revealed on Wednesday the country would move to “alert level four” – the highest level – with measures strengthened in an attempt to suppress the spread of Covid-19.
It means all retail, including close contact serves and leisure and fitness centres, will be forced to close their doors once more at the end of trading on 24 December. All hospitality premises will close from 6pm on Christmas Day.
In a departure from the advice agreed by the four nations, he added that only two households should come together to form a “bubble” between 23 and 27 December – rather than three.
“The fewer people we mix with in our home, the less chance we have of catching or spreading the virus,” the first minister said. “None of us wants to be ill this Christmas. And we don’t want to give coronavirus to our close family or friends.
After the easing of household mixing restrictions expires on 28 December, Mr Drakeford added tighter measures will apply across the country on staying-at-home, holiday accommodation and travel.
He said: “Many of you will have seen the warnings from senior clinicians about the huge impact coronavirus is having on the whole of our health service. The situation we are facing is extremely serious.
“We must move to alert level four and tighten the restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus and save lives. This new set of higher-level restrictions will apply to the whole of Wales.”
Under the alert level four guidance, people will be instructed to work from home if they can, not to travel without reasonable excuse and only gather with members of their own household or support bubble outside.
Entertainment venues, leisure and fitness facilities, outdoor visitor attractions, theatres and concert halls and all hospitality will be forced to close. Licences premises can operate as takeaways between 6am and 10pm.
However, schools, colleges and childcare providers will remain open alongside places of worship and playgrounds and public backs while wedding and funeral ceremonies are allowed to go ahead with limits.
Mr Drakeford added: “We are seeing levels of coronavirus in some parts of the country that we haven’t experienced at any point before in this pandemic.
“This pandemic is putting our NHS under intense and sustained strain. “There are more than 2,100 people with coronavirus symptoms in our hospitals – equivalent to five general hospitals fully occupied by people with coronavirus.
“This has been such a long and difficult year. We need to take this action to save lives and control the spread of this awful virus.”
