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Tourists in Wales to be told to leave
Wales will enter a ‘firebreak’ lockdown on Friday for 17 days, with non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality businesses to close.
All hotels and other holiday accommodation will also be forced to close at 6pm on 23 October and visitors from outside Wales will be asked to go home. No non-essential travel – including holidays – will be allowed until 9 November.
The Welsh government announced today that the lockdown will mean most businesses will close and people will be told to stay at home and work from home where possible.
The measures include:
- Non-essential retail, leisure and hospitality businesses to close
- People to work from home wherever possible, with exceptions for critical workers
- Household mixing banned both indoors and outdoors, although those in social bubbles will still be able to meet
- Primary schools open after the half-term week and secondary schools will open only to Year 7 and Year 8 pupils
- Places of worship to be closed except for weddings and funerals
First Minister Mark Drakeford said the introduction of a new lockdown would deliver a ‘short, sharp shock’.
"It will have to be sharp and deep in order to have the impact we need," he said.
"Everyone in Wales will be required to stay at home. All non-essential businesses will have to close."
Drakeford also announced a £300m economic resilience fund to help businesses through the shutdown, with every business covered by the small business rate relief to receive a £1,000 payment.
Small and medium-sized retail, leisure and hospitality businesses that will be forced to shut their doors will be given a one-off payment of up to £5,000.
To read more, click here.
By Louise Longman, Contributing Editor (UK)
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