People in Wales are still being advised to stay within five miles of their home, despite exemptions announced today.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said at the Welsh Government briefing this lunchtime that it is key that people remain local, and warned that the fight against coronavirus is not over yet.
The Welsh Government is hoping to remove the requirement to stay local by July 6, but there are now exemptions for those travelling outside their local areas on "compassionate grounds".
This includes seeing people at a care home or a youth offender institution – when these visits are allowed. People who are eligible to vote in overseas elections, where voting must be done in person, will also be able to travel.
People will also be able to visit family members who may be feeling the impacts of not having seen anyone for the last three months.
Mr Drakeford said it included family member "whose wellbeing has been badly affected because haven't been able to see people."
So if a family member is isolating alone, and it is really affecting their wellbeing, you can go and visit, he said.
When you make that visit, it should be outside, it should be at a two-metre distance, you should observe all the rules that we have already set up," Mr Drakeford told the Welsh Government coronavirus press conference in Cardiff.
The First Minister also admitted that the five mile "rule" was merely guidance, and was not law, and the advice was designed to give people an idea of what local means and to allow people to use their judgement.
But he told how outbreaks in North Wales at Rowan Foods in Wrexham and at 2 Sisters in Llangefni were prime examples of why it is so important that people adhere to the stay local advice.
Mr Drakeford said: "This is a powerful set of measures, and a powerful set of signals. The stay local message remains important here in Wales. Coronavirus is not over, as we are learning today from outbreaks in North Wales.
"Two more weeks, one last lap, we can do this together and then provided everything remains as we hope it will, we will be able to make that part of the coronavirus crisis something behind us."
The Welsh Government has also been considering allowing households to "form a bubble" and could announce a decision on that before the next review period of the regulations in three weeks, Mr Drakeford said.
This is likely to involve a single household "bubbling" with another household to give relief to people who have been "particularly isolated" as a result of the coronavirus restrictions.
Mr Drakeford said that at the height of the pandemic, one in every 1,000 people in Wales was "probably infectious", that has now dropped to one in 10,000 or lower.
Ministers have decided to lift the requirement to stay local on July 6, provided the conditions allow. With the requirement lifted, people will be able to travel to tourist attractions across Wales.
The First Minister said: "I want people to know coronavirus has not gone away. We have some headroom to make this package of changes to the regulations, which will be introduced in a phased and cautious way in Wales.
“Many aspects of daily life in Wales will be moving into the amber zone in our traffic light system. But we all need to continue to take steps to protect ourselves from the virus – that means working from home wherever possible; avoiding unnecessary travel; only meeting with one other household outdoors; maintaining social distancing and washing your hands often. It may also mean wearing a face covering in some situations.
“It is thanks to the efforts of everyone in Wales that we have slowed the spread of coronavirus but we can’t stop now. We need to do all we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the virus and to keep Wales safe.”
