Wales will move to alert level four after Christmas

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced that Wales “must move” to alert level four after Christmas.

Speaking at the latest coronavirus briefing today, he announced that:

• All non-essential retail, including close contact services and all leisure and fitness centres will close at the end of trading on Christmas Eve.
• All hospitality premises will close from 6pm on Christmas Day.
• And on December 28, tighter restrictions for household mixing, staying-at-home, holiday accommodation and travel will apply.

The new set of higher-level restrictions will apply to the whole of Wales.

Mr Drakeford said: “We must move to alert level four and tighten the restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus and save lives.

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“When I spoke to you on Friday, I explained that if we didn’t see a change in the current course of coronavirus in Wales, then a move to tighter restrictions would be inevitable.”

He said cases are rising week on week, one in five people are testing positive for the virus, and the number of people in hospital with coronavirus symptoms has risen to record levels.

More than 2,100 people, equivalent to five full general hospitals And the number of people in intensive care with coronavirus is at the highest level in this second wave – at 98.Wales

Nathan Spackman

Nathan is the Operations Director at Bro Radio. You can hear him on air on Vale Breakfast weekday mornings from 7am or reading local news bulletins throughout the week.