Welsh Government announces new tier 4 restrictions to come into place after Christmas

From Monday 28th of December, Wales will be going into “Tier 4” alert level, the equivalent to a near-lockdown, which is the nation’s highest possible alert level.

The closing of facilities will be staggered over the Christmas period, with closures beginning on Christmas Eve for some sectors.

From the end of the working day on 24th of December, gyms, hairdressers, and other ‘close-contact’ businesses must close. This will be followed by the closure of all non-essential retail on Christmas Eve, meaning there will be no Boxing Day sales.

All pubs and restaurants must close by 18:00pm on Christmas Day, and ‘Christmas bubbles’ should now only include two households instead of the initial three.

Holiday accommodation and public facilities will also be expected to close, with some exceptions. Wedding receptions and wakes will also be banned.

People will be expected to stay home and only travel for essential reasons.

These new restrictions will be in force throughout Wales, and currently there is no end date for this lockdown. However, the Welsh Government is expected to review the situation after three weeks.

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