Two households will be able to join together after firebreak lockdown ends

Two households will be able to join together as part of an extended household once the firebreak lockdown in Wales comes to an end, First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed.

The firebreak lockdown, which has been in place since October 23, will come to an end on Monday, November 9.

Meanwhile, restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, gyms and non-essential shops will all be able to reopen, with coronavirus safety measures in place, once the lockdown is lifted.

However, the First Minister said some of the new measures that will come into force next week – such as details on the reopening of the hospitality sector – are still being finalised, following the “unexpected” announcement that England would enter a month-long lockdown from Thursday, November 5.

Making the announcement on Monday (November 2), the First Minister said: “Everyone has made so many sacrifices this year already. To make sure we do not lose all this hard work, we need to carry on looking after each other and keeping ourselves safe.

“This is a virus which thrives on human contact. Social contact is important to all of us but to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, we need to think carefully about all our meetings and contacts with other people and try and reduce them to reduce our risk of infection.”

Mr Drakeford added: “Rather than us asking what we can or can’t do, we need to ask ourselves what should we be doing to keep our families safe.

“Government rules and regulations are here to help. But the real strength we have is in the choices we make and the actions we take together.”

The end of the firebreak lockdown will see schools reopen as they were prior to the current set of restrictions, while places of worship, such as churches, will be able to resume services.

Community centres will also be allowed to reopen for small groups of people.

The end of the firebreak lockdown will not see areas like Caerphilly County Borough return to the local lockdown implemented in September.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price called for a “slow and steady” end to the firebreak lockdown and warned that “coming out too early risks undoing any benefits gained”.

What other restrictions will be in place after the firebreak lockdown ends?

• Face masks will still be required in indoor public places, such as shops, as well as on public transport, including taxis.
• Two-metre social distancing must be maintained.
• Workers will be encouraged to work from home where possible
• Up to 15 people can take part in organised activities indoors and up to 30 can take part outdoors, providing social distancing and other safety measures are followed
• No travel restrictions will be in place within Wales, but travel outside of Wales is banned for people who don’t have a “reasonable excuse”. However, all non-essential travel is still discouraged.
• People should only meet indoors with people in their extended household. If one person from either household develops coronavirus symptoms, the entire extended household is required to self-isolate immediately.