Lockdown easing: Wales will move from ‘stay at home’ to ‘stay-local’ within a 5 mile radius
The Welsh Government has announced a relaxation of lockdown rules, with stay-local rules replacing “stay home” from Saturday.
People in Wales will be asked to stay within a five mile radius, for those in more rural areas that ‘guidance’ can be flexed.
The five mile radius guidance will be in place until the end of March.
First Minister Mark Drakeford has said “The journey out of lockdown begins in earnest in Wales this weekend.”
During a press conference this afternoon, he will announce that hairdressers and barbers can open from Monday by appointment for haircut.
From 22 March non-essential retail will start re-opening gradually as the restrictions are lifted on what can be sold in shops which are currently open.
Garden centres will also be able to open.
All shops, including all close contact services, will be able to open from 12 April – the same date as in England.
From tomorrow, 4 people from 2 households can meet outdoors, outdoor sports facilities including basketball courts, tennis courts and golf courses, can reopen, and indoor care home visits will restart, for single designated visitors.
If the situation continues to improve, self contained holiday accommodation could open at Easter.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast Mark Drakeford said: “Four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors for any purpose, and will be able to meet in gardens as well which I know will be very widely appreciated.”
“From Monday, hairdressers and barbers will be able to resume work, on the 22nd of March shops that are already open will be able to sell the full range of goods that are available there.”
“Provided numbers continue to improve, on the 29th of March we will reopen self contained accommodation, so that people in Wales will be able to go to the caravan have a few days away.”
“We will end the stay at home rule this weekend and move to a stay local regime for an interim period, and again we hope to be able to go beyond that at the end of March.”
“All of that, of course, depending upon the numbers in Wales, which are in a good position at the moment provided they continue to improve.”
“The rule of thumb that we used last year and people became very used to was that you should think of local as a five mile radius from where you area.”
“If you live in more dispersed communities in rural Wales, then people exercise judgment in their own circumstances and can go a little bit further.”
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