(Title Image: © Copyright N Chadwick and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence BY-SA-2.0)
The city of Bangor has become the second sub-county area in Wales after Llanelli to be placed into a “hyperlocal lockdown” following a sudden increase in Covid-19 cases the Welsh Government believes is linked to the student population.
A map of the affected area is available here.
As with other local lockdowns:
- Nobody should enter or leave the Bangor area without a reasonable excuse – as during the previous lockdown this means for work (if someone can’t work from home) or to look after a vulnerable person.
- All people aged 11 and over will be required to wear facemasks/face coverings in indoor public areas – although this is already a rule across Wales.
- People will only be allowed to meet each other outdoors; indoor meetings and overnight stays are not allowed. Single people and single parents will still be able to form a “bubble”.
- Licenced premises (pubs and clubs) will need to stop selling alcohol at 10 pm (now a rule across Wales anyway).
Public Health Wales’ Dr Giri Shankar said there was an “ongoing concern” about the increase in virus transmission from pubs, club and restaurants. There have been several localised outbreaks in Wales linked to pubs and clubs, including a recent spike in cases in Blaengarw, Bridgend.
People from the hospitality industry warned that further restrictions on trade could place businesses under threat. William Hunter from Carmarthen told BBC Wales: “I understand why they’re doing this, but we’re not having any support. Fine, close us for two weeks but please give us the support to fill in the gap.”
Scotland recently introduced a blanket two-week closure of pubs, clubs and restaurants in the Central Belt region, paying grants of up to £3,000 to affected businesses.
