Pubs to stop selling alcohol in Wales as part of new coronavirus restrictions

Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in Wales will be forced to stop selling alcohol and to shut by 6pm in a new round of restrictions that begin on Friday night ahead of Christmas, first minister Mark Drakeford has said.

The new regulations that come into force from 6pm on 4 December will also see cinemas, bowling alleys and other indoor entertainment venues forced to shut their doors until they are reviewed on 17 December.

The announcement comes just three weeks after the end of Wales’s 17-day firebreak lockdown and amid another rise in coronavirus cases particularly among under-25s in 17 of the country’s 22 local authorities.

On Monday, Drakeford told a press conference in Cardiff that scientific and medical advisers believed unless further restrictions were put in place, the number of people in hospital in Wales with Covid-19 could rise to 2,200 people by 12 January.

Modelling suggested another 1,600 people could also lose their lives over the winter period, he said.

Drakeford told the Welsh government’s press briefing: “The measures we are taking are based on what the UK SAGE group of experts tells us has worked best elsewhere.

“From 6pm on Friday, our national measures will be amended to introduce new restrictions for hospitality and indoor entertainment attractions.

“Pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will have to close by 6pm and will not be allowed to serve alcohol. After 6pm they will only be able to provide takeaway services.”

Comments 2

lanterndude says:

6 years ago

This is certainly a ‘logical’ decision if you believe the hype. However, for the previous two years the ONS has detailed 600,000 deaths in 2018 and 2019. That yields just under eleven and a half thousand deaths a week, in ‘normal’ circumstances. If one then divides the weekly mortality rate by 7, the result is 1642 a day. The next ‘release date’ of PROVISIONAL figures and their new ESTIMATE (see web page) will be 1/12/20, and all the numbers will be provisionally accurate eleven days previously. The most recent figures published on 24/11/20 were from 13/11/20. There will be another six reports, which will complete the 2020 picture. Here in England the Bozo Brigade seem to be happy to hype the scamdemic but not interfere with obvious petri-dish environments such as pubs restaurants and the like.

stangya_sorensa says:

5 years ago

Looks like everywhere in Wales is Myrthyr Tydfil; more pubs per square mile than anywhere in UK, all closed on sundays! Only now, closed every day! If there are not riots in the streets, I will be very surprised.