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From Friday (4th December), clubs, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Wales will be banned from serving alcohol and will have to close at 6 pm. They will only be able to provide takeaway services for food and non-alcoholic drinks after 6 pm.
Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions will need to close completely.
It’s unclear how long the new restrictions will last. The announcement was badly-received by the hospitality sector. The chief executive of Brains told BBC Wales that it was a “slap in the face” and called for politicians to stop changing the rules at short notice.
The decision was made following rising numbers of new Covid-19 cases after the temporary reduction following the two-week “firebreak” lockdown during October/November reversed.
The Welsh Government has made an additional £340million available to support businesses affected by the announcement across two separate funds.
Closed businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors which pay business rates with a rateable value of under £150,000 will be eligible for grants of up to £5,000. Non-rate-paying businesses will be eligible for £2,000.
The second fund will offer more substantial support to the hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses, with businesses eligible for up to £150,000 in support depending on their size.
Elsewhere, there are new guidelines regarding hospital visits.
People will be able to attend maternity appointments to support new and prospective mothers depending on local circumstances (i.e. room capacity, social distancing capacity), while a single birth partner can attend during labour, birth and post-birth where circumstances allow.
Additionally, essential support assistants (carers, interpreters) won’t be counted as a visitor and, if such a support assistant is a member of cared-for person’s family or a partner, they may be nominated as a support assistant.
