Wales lockdown: Covid 'firebreak' comes into force

Wales has entered a national 17-day lockdown in an effort to slow the rise of Covid cases and hospital admissions.

Major restrictions to people's lives came into force at 18:00 BST on Friday.

People can leave home for limited reasons including to buy food and medication, provide care, exercise or to work if they cannot do so from home.

All but essential businesses have closed with economists warning the measures may cost the Welsh economy more than £500m.

The Welsh Government said any delay would have caused greater harm.

But opposition parties have called for clarity on what happens at the end of the period.

The number of patients in hospital in Wales with coronavirus is now the highest since June, according to NHS Wales figures published on Friday.

There were 894 people in Welsh hospitals with the virus, up 26% week-on-week, while 43 of them are in critical care, a rise of 72%.

This is about two-thirds of the number at the peak.

Under the new rules people cannot mix with others they do not live with.

People can no longer meet others indoors, or socialise outdoors, such as in parks or people's gardens.

People who live alone are allowed to meet one other household. This has to be the same one every time and there are no rules specifying they have to be within any set distance of your home.

There is no limit to how many times people can leave the house to exercise or how far they can run, cycle, walk or jog as local lockdown boundaries have now ended.

But exercising with others, such as running and cycling clubs, will not be allowed, and exercise should start from home.

Grandparents and other relatives can still care for children, but only if no other methods of childcare are available.

Indoor visits to care homes may be allowed but only in "exceptional circumstances", such as for end-of-life visits.

Earlier on Friday children left school ahead of their half-term break. Primary and special schools will reopen as normal on 2 November after the half-term break - there is no extra time off.

In secondary schools only pupils in Years 7 and 8 will go back to class during the lockdown.

The national rules bring an end to the local restrictions imposed on 15 counties, as well as Bangor and Llanelli, in recent weeks.

People can be fined £60 for a first coronavirus restrictions offence, up to a maximum fixed penalty notice of £1,920.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said it would be a "difficult and challenging fortnight" but "without taking action now our NHS will soon be overwhelmed and thousands of lives lost".

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Paul Davies accused ministers of having "no exit strategy".

"The Welsh Government needs to give us hope and clarity of what it will actually achieve and what life will look like post national lockdown," he said.

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