News
Christmas Guidance 23-27 December: tighter restrictions announced
Friday 18th December 2020
Welsh Government have announced that Wales has met the criteria in the new traffic-light Coronavirus Control Plan to move to alert level four. As such, there will be tighter restrictions on the 'Christmas Guidance', which applies across Wales between 23 and 27 December:
Holiday accommodation - what are the rules?
You can stay in holiday rental accommodation during the Christmas period (up to the end of 27 December), but in Wales you can only do this with people you live with (or someone who is with you to provide care for a vulnerable person).
From 12.01am on 28 December, all accommodation must close unless authorised to remain open by a local authority or Welsh Ministers to accommodate vulnerable groups, key workers etc. More information on exemptions will be published soon.
People travelling to or from Northern Ireland are also entitled to stay overnight on 27 December but must vacate the accommodation in the course of 28 December.
Restaurants and cafes in accommodation (e.g. hotels) can remain open to the public until 6pm and residents until 10pm up until Christmas Day, but after 6pm on 25 December, up to the end of 27 December, accommodation providers will only be allowed to provide food and drink to residents. No alcoholic drinks can be consumed in restaurants and cafes at any time. Room service will also remain available but must not include alcohol between 10pm and 6am.
Only TWO households can join and form a fixed 'Christmas Bubble'. One person living on his/her own can also join the 'Christmas Bubble'
Bubble can meet outdoors and indoors in private homes and stay overnight at each other's homes.
Christmas bubbles can meet in outdoor public spaces (park, beach, etc.) but groups are limited to 4 people.
Non-essential retail, including close contact services and all leisure and fitness centres will close at the end of trading on Christmas Eve.
Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants must close at 6pm on Christmas Day.
Takeaway services without a licence to sell alcohol can sell food and non-alcoholic drinks for consumption off the premises at any time. Premises with a licence for off-sales can continue to sell alcohol until 10pm as part of the takeaway offer.
No travel restrictions apply during this period within the UK
Up until 23 Dec, the current regulations continue to apply.
From 28 December, the whole of Wales will be moving to a level 4 alert, equivalent to a lockdown. Tighter restrictions on household mixing, staying-at-home and travel will apply.
More details can be found in the updated Coronavirus Control Plan here .