Factbox: Wales to impose a two-week 'fire-break' lockdown as COVID-19 spreads
LONDON (Reuters) - Wales said it would impose a two-week "fire-break" lockdown from Friday in which everybody apart from essential workers would have to stay at home to battle an accelerating second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Following are the details:
- The so-called "fire-break" lockdown will start at 1700 GMT on Friday, October 23 and end on Monday, November 9.
- The Welsh government will provide a 300 million package of support for businesses.
RULES
- People must stay at home, except for very limited purposes, such as for exercise.
- People must work from home wherever possible.
- People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with either indoors and outdoors.
- No gatherings will be allowed outdoors, such as Halloween or fireworks/Bonfire Night or other organised activities.
- All non-food retail, hospitality businesses, including cafes, restaurants and pubs (unless they provide take-away or delivery services), close contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, and events and tourism businesses, such as hotels must close.
- Community centres, libraries and recycling centres will be required to close.
- Face coverings must be worn in indoor public spaces, which remain open, including on public transport and in taxis.
- Adults living alone or single parents will be able to join with one other household for support.
- Primary and special schools will re-open as normal after half-term.
- Secondary schools will re-open after the half-term for children in years seven and eight and for most vulnerable children. Pupils will be able to come in to take exams but other pupils will continue their learning from home for an extra week.
SUPPORT
- Every business covered by the small business rates relief will receive a 1,000 pound payment.
- Small and medium-sized retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, which have to close will receive a one-off payment of up to 5,000 pounds.
Source: Welsh government
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
