People in Wales will be able to attend larger organised events, such as concerts, football matches and sporting activities, from Monday.
The country’s next phase of easing lockdown restrictions will allow 4,000 people to stand at bigger venues, and 10,000 to be seated.
Groups of up to 30 people will also be permitted to meet outdoors, including in private gardens, while up to three households will be able to meet indoors as the country moves to alert level one, the Welsh government announced on Friday.
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The phased relaxing of coronavirus measures will be reviewed ahead of 21 June to determine whether indoor events can fully restart.
But Mark Drakeford warned that the spread of the so-called Indian variant, also known as Delta, showed the pandemic was “not yet over” and that steps must continue to be taken to reduce transmission.
“It is spreading very quickly in the northwest of England, right on our border,” the first minister told Wales’ Today Programme. There are some 97 cases of the strain in Wales, including a cluster in Conwy, in the nation’s northwest.
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Should infections remain low, though, more people will be allowed to attend outdoor and indoor events, the rule of six for meeting indoors in private homes will return, and ice rinks will also reopen.
What restrictions have been eased in Wales so far?
- 19 February: Four people, from a maximum of two households, were allowed to meet outdoors for exercise. Social distancing must be adhered to.
- 22 February: Three- to seven-year-olds began returning to school, in a similar phased approach to Scotland’s – unlike in England where all pupils returned to the classroom on the same day (8 March).
- 1 March: Wedding venues reopened, but only for a limited number of guests for both weddings and civil partnership ceremonies.
- 13 March: The stay-home order officially ended across the country, with residents now under instruction to “stay local”.
- 15 March: Hairdressers and barbers were allowed to reopen to customers with appointments. Primary school children and students in years 11 and 13 returned to school.
- 22 March: Non-essential items sold in supermarkets and garden centres allowed to reopen. The re-opening of garden centres marks the first re-opening of non-essential retail in Wales since it locked down shortly before Christmas.
- 27 March: “Stay local” travel guidance was dropped. Self-contained accommodation welcomed Welsh holidaymakers and libraries and outdoor children’s activities reopened.
- 3 May: Gyms, leisure centres, outdoor attractions and hospitality venues reopened, and weddings and indoor and outdoor activities were once again permitted.
- 17 May: Cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants open indoors again, having been allowed to reopen outside since 26 April.
What restrictions easing is currently planned?
- 7 June: Larger organised events, such as concerts, football matches and sporting activities, will resume for up to 4,000 people standing and 10,000 people seated. Groups of up to 30 people will also be allowed to meet outdoors, including in private gardens, while up to three households will be able to meet indoors as the country moves to alert level one.
- Before 21 June: While Mr Drakeford has not given a specific date, the Welsh government will review this next phase in the coming weeks to determine if indoor venues – such as nightclubs – can reopen or if variables such as the Indian variant mean this must be delayed.
What happens next?
Organisers planning events from Monday must undertake a full risk assessment and put in place measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Mr Drakeford said the country’s chief medical officer had advised that Wales should “phase in” its move to alert level one over the next three weeks.
Some 45 per cent of adults in Wales have now received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to government data, while 85 per cent of its population has had one jab.
