Wales to go back into lockdown from 28 December

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford has revealed an alert level four lockdown from 28th December.

At the end of trading on Christmas Eve, non-essential shops will close with close-contact services such as hair salons also shutting before Christmas.

All pubs, cafes and restaurants will close at 6pm on Christmas Day.

What happens in a level four lockdown:

Mr Drakeford defended allowing hospitality businesses to stay open until 18:00 on Christmas Day.

We are anxious not to face that industry with additional difficulties at this point,

There’s more than one form of harm from coronavirus.

We know that many people who live alone arrange their Christmas by booking a meal on Christmas Day, so that they can be in the company of other people.

I wanted to be able to honour that so that those people do not face an even bleaker Christmas, even more alone and they otherwise would be with all the other harms that come from that.

How long the lockdown will be in place:

The lockdown currently has no end date and will be reviewed every three weeks, beginning in January.