Pubs to stop serving alcohol at 10pm under new Welsh Government measures

Hospitality businesses in Wales will have to stop selling alcohol at 10pm under new measures announced by the Welsh Government.

Pubs, cafes and restaurants are affected and all will have to offer table service when the new measures take effect from 6pm on Thursday, September 24.

All off-licences, including supermarkets, will also have to stop selling alcohol at 10pm.

Announcing the new measures, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Once again, we are facing rising cases of coronavirus infections in different parts of Wales and once again we are seeing people being admitted to our hospitals with serious illnesses because of this virus.

“In the weeks and months ahead of us, there is a very real possibility we could see coronavirus regain a foothold in our local communities, towns and cities. None of us wants to see that happen again.”

Caerphilly, along with RCT, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport, are already under local restrictions which prohibit travel between those areas and no-one is allowed to hold social gatherings in homes. Extended households have also been suspended.

The Welsh Government has also announced a new £500 payment to support people on low incomes who are asked to self-isolate if they have coronavirus.

The changes follow a four-nation COBR meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, which discussed a series of proposals for further action – many of which are already in place in Wales – to respond to rising rates of coronavirus transmission throughout the UK.

Restrictions should go further – Plaid

Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price has called for restrictions to go further in areas where there are local lockdowns – such as Caerphilly County Borough.

Sales of alcohol from off-licences should be banned from 6pm and pubs should also close their indoor areas.

Mr Price said: “Crucially, these steps must be backed-up by sector-specific financial support to affected businesses.

“Nationwide, there should be an enforceable ban on non-essential travel from lockdown areas in the rest of the UK into Wales to keep communities where there is decreased transmission safe.

“The First Minister should also consider having Covid-free areas and areas of low community transmission which would be exempt from any nationwide changes. This would serve two purposes: it would incentivise continued adherence to the rules in areas of low transmission and increase adherence to the rules in areas of higher transmission.”