Outdoor hospitality in Wales to reopen on 26 April
Since December 2020, all Welsh hospitality businesses have been prohibited from trading due to lockdown restrictions
Outdoor hospitality in Wales will be allowed to reopen from Monday 26 April, the Welsh government has confirmed.
It comes as first minister Mark Drakeford said Covid-19 cases in the area continue to fall – with officials also allowing for six people from different households to mix outside from 24 April.
Speaking yesterday (19 April), the first minister said that the public health context in Wales “remains favourable” – adding that the vaccination programme is continuing to go from “strength to strength”.
Since December 2020, all Welsh hospitality businesses have been prohibited from trading due to lockdown restrictions.
Despite the loosening of outdoor laws, UKHospitality Cymru (UKHC) is also calling for the Welsh government to “bring forward” the date for the reopening of indoor hospitality in the country.
The trade association is calling for the reopening of Wales’ hospitality sector to match with England and Scotland’s commitment to opening doors on 17 May.
Dave Chapman, UKHC’s executive director, said: “Covid-19 cases in Wales are currently the lowest number since we were open for business last autumn, below 20 per 100,000. Our vaccination programme is a huge success.
“This week Scotland joined England in announcing opening indoors on 17th May. We are opening on a very limited basis outdoors on 26th April, some two weeks after England, yet we have been closed longer. The indoor opening ‘soft target’ remains before the end of May.”