New Wales lockdown: Pubs in Rhondda Cynon Taf ordered to shut at 11pm and ban on households meeting
PUBS in Rhondda Cynon Taf have been ordered to shut at 11pm from tomorrow and people will be banned from meeting other households in the latest Wales lockdown.
People won’t be able to come in or leave the area without a reasonable excuse, and everyone over the age of 11 must wear a face covering in indoor public spaces from 6pm tomorrow.
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Restaurants, bars and other licensed venues will have to shut early to stop the spread of the virus after a spike in cases, but they will be allowed to remain open in the day for now.
The area now has the highest rate of infection across Wales – with a rate of 82.1 per 100,000 people testing positive in the last week.
People will only be able to meet with others outside.
They can’t meet with people they have bubbled up with either.
Ministers in Wales blamed people not following the social distancing rules, and returning from holidays in coronavirus hotspots and passing on the bug.
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “We have seen a rapid rise in cases in Rhondda Cynon Taf in a very short space of time, linked to people socialising indoors and not following social distancing guidelines.
“We now have evidence of wider community transmission in the borough, which means we need to take urgent action to control and, ultimately, reduce the spread of the virus and protect people’s health.”
Pubs are already being ordered to shut in Bolton as part of local lockdown measures there.
And bars across the nation face a potential curfew if the spread cannot be stopped.
If the rule of six fails to curb the number of infections, then ministers haven’t ruled out nationwide changes to opening hours.
Boris Johnson doesn’t want a national lockdown but has said it will be the “nuclear option” if numbers continue to go up.
Caerphilly in Wales is also under a local lockdown at the moment – but their bars don’t face a curfew.
People living there can’t go in and out of the area, and must not visit other households or have people inside their own homes.
They can’t meet with people inside that they don’t live with – which includes pubs and cafes.
Local health chiefs have said they expect the rules to be in place until at least October.