Covid: Threat of England hotspot travel ban to Wales

First Minister Mark Drakeford has threatened a travel ban in Wales on people from English Covid hotspots if the prime minister does not impose his own.

He said he is giving UK ministers "one final opportunity" before he makes changes in Welsh law.

The UK government announced on Monday that it will advise against non-essential travel from Merseyside.

But it stopped short of making it illegal, angering Welsh ministers.

Mr Drakeford said he could close the border with England, but that is not his preferred option.

Welsh ministers have asked for travel from areas with high rates of coronavirus in England to be restricted, to prevent people visiting parts of Wales where lockdowns are not in force and where rates are lower.

In 17 Welsh areas under local lockdown, people are subject to travel restrictions and cannot go in or out of their county except for a limited set of reasons, including to go to work or school.

They are not allowed to leave to go on holiday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons on Monday afternoon that people under the very high risk tier of lockdown - currently only the Liverpool City Region - should not travel to Wales on holiday.

The UK government, which governs Covid rules in England, has however not made it illegal to travel.

Speaking on BBC Wales Today, Mr Drakeford said he would be writing a letter to the prime minister spelling out the powers he has.

"If he doesn't act, we will use them," he said.

"I want to offer him one final opportunity to do the right thing, because that would be fair to people in Wales, and people across our border.

"I don't want it to be a border issue. People in England in high incidence areas should not be going to low incidence areas in England, either."

He said the prime minister's solution of guidance "simply will not do", saying North Wales Police cannot turn people away on the basis of it.

"We need rules that prevent people from high-incidence areas coming into Wales to low incidence areas", he said.

He said the letter will provide evidence, requested by UK government ministers, that people moving from areas with high levels of the virus to areas with low levels spread the virus.