Local lockdowns in Wales announced
Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Blaenau Gwent will be placed under a local lockdown from 6pm on Tuesday following an increase in coronavirus cases, the Welsh Government has announced.
Health minister Vaughan Gething said many of the coronavirus cases had been linked to people socialising indoors without physical distancing.
“We are seeing evidence of coronavirus spreading,” Mr Gething told a news conference in Cardiff.
“We need to take action to control and, ultimately, reduce its spread and protect people’s health.
“It’s always a difficult decision to introduce restrictions but coronavirus has not gone away – it is still circulating in communities across Wales and, as we are seeing in parts of South Wales, small clusters can quickly cause real issues in local communities.”
The Welsh government will call an urgent meeting of all local authority, health board and police forces from Bridgend to the English border on Tuesday.
This will discuss “the wider situation in South Wales and whether further measures are needed across the region”, the government said.
Restrictions are as follows:
People will not be able to enter or leave the areas concerned without a reasonable excuse, including to work if they cannot do so from home.
Licensed premises like pubs will need to shut by 23:00 every night, with that rule also extended to Caerphilly.
People will only be able to meet others outside their own household outdoors – meetings with people from their extended households will be banned in the four areas.
