Covid: Welsh pubs and restaurants to open indoors in May

People in Wales could be able to have a pint of beer or glass of wine inside a pub or restaurant for the first time in five-and-a-half-months from 17 May.

Pubs and restaurants have been unable to service alcohol indoors since the Welsh government stopped it in December because of rising Covid numbers.

Indoor children's activities like soft play and swimming lessons have also been brought forward to 3 May.

Indoor activities of 15 adults, like exercise classes, can start on 3 May.

The announcements were made ahead of First Minister Mark Drakeford delivering the details at an official Welsh government Covid update briefing on Friday lunchtime.

He will say that it is his "hope" that bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes, will be able to open indoors from 17 May, together with cinemas, theatres, and indoor attractions such as museums and stately homes.

But he said it would be for an incoming Welsh government to confirm the arrangements when the next three-week review is held on 13 May, a week after the 6 May Senedd election.

It comes after the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru called for the industry to be allowed to resume indoor trade on 17 May - the same proposed date as in England and Scotland.

Opposition parties accused Mr Drakeford, the leader of Welsh Labour, of electioneering by changing Covid rules during the Welsh Parliament election campaign ahead of the 6 May ballot.

The latest restriction easing comes after an announcement that any six people can meet outdoors in Wales from Saturday.

Mr Drakeford has also confirmed outdoor hospitality, including cafes, pubs and restaurants, will be allowed to reopen on Monday - alongside outdoor attractions, organised outdoor activities and wedding receptions for up to 30 people.

Gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities can also reopen from 3 May, while people can once again form extended households, allowing two households to bubble up and have contact indoors.

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Allowing people in Wales to buy an alcoholic drink inside a pub or restaurant from 17 May would be similar to the plan in England and Scotland.

Scotland will be the first in the UK to open its cafes, pubs and restaurants indoors from Monday - but no alcohol can be served. Hospitality venues in Scotland hope to return to "greater normality", possibly serving alcohol indoors until 22:30, from 17 May.

People in England can already visit the pub or have a meal in a restaurant outside - that could extend to inside from 17 May.

Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants can welcome customers outdoors in Northern Ireland from 30 April, with restrictions, while people may be allowed to socialise inside from 24 May at the earliest, depending on Covid case rates.

It has been a long time coming for Treorchy cafe owner Sara Bailey.

Hot Gossip, like so many other catering businesses in Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been shut for four months.

"We've been closed since that Saturday in December when we were told to go into lockdown again - we thought we'd be open until Christmas," she said.

"It seems that things are going well at the moment with Covid cases, so it is time to give us a date to reopen."

She said she wanted Wales to be in line with what was happening in England and Scotland, and needed to plan to restart.

"I need to recruit an extra member of staff, and I can't advertise for that without an opening date - and I can't order stock without that date either," she said.

For restaurateur Nataniel Matinez, reopening is a large-scale operation.

He runs venues such as Le Monde in Cardiff and Penarth's Old Customs House.

"The opening of indoor hospitality for us means we can bring back about 120 staff back into work," he said.

"The demand for indoor dining is massive, so we are really looking forward now to getting back to it and reopening all the restaurants."

He said it was "critical" to be able to open inside, as that was where his larger venues made their money.

"To see all our staff back in work will be fantastic, and lovely to see customers back inside," he added.

The announcement has been warmly welcomed by UKHospitality, the trade body representing the hospitality sector in Wales.

"We have led the calls for earlier reopening and have been advising, consulting and negotiating on the need to help protect jobs and businesses - and the public," said Dave Chapman, its director for Wales.

He said the move was a week earlier than anticipated, and brought Wales into line with England and Scotland.

Mr Chapman said it "offers clarity and commercial hope, and reflects positively the medical evidence".

Wales had the highest Covid case rate in the UK when the Welsh government banned sale of alcohol on the premises of pubs and restaurants on 4 December as Welsh counties had the UK's highest infection rates.

Then came the pre-Christmas lockdown, shutting all restaurants, pubs and shops, as Wales reported more than 3,000 Covid cases a day and the Welsh NHS struggled to cope.

Now Wales has the lowest Covid case rate in the UK - around 15 cases per 100,000 people - with, compared to other UK nations, the highest percentage of its population vaccinated. The number of Covid patients in hospitals in Wales has also dropped to its lowest level.

The Welsh government has previously not set a date for the reopening of indoor hospitality, other than that it could happen before the spring bank holiday.

While there now appears to be a broad consensus on hospitality restrictions, both the Tories and Plaid Cymru have said Mr Drakeford should not be using the televised address for announcements easing restrictions.

The Welsh Conservatives accused of the Welsh Labour leader of "naked electioneering" while Plaid Cymru said it was "completely inappropriate" for the press conference to be used for party political announcements.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: "The collective effort of the people of Wales exemplified by the heroic vaccination rollout by our incredible NHS staff have allowed for the relaxation of restrictions.

"A Plaid Cymru government would plan for the reopening of indoor hospitality, tourist accommodation, cinemas and other entertainment venues on May 17th.

"To put businesses on the best possible footing our first steps in office include providing start up grants for hospitality businesses.

"Additional financial support would also be backdated to April 26th for those businesses that cannot viably trade on the basis of outdoor opening alone."

Welcoming the announcement, Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said it was "great news" for the hospitality and fitness industries.

She said: "Exercise classes, personal training and swimming lessons are all important aspects for our physical and mental health and will play a part in our recovery from Covid.

"As a nation we must all work together to ensure the vaccination programme continues and that the lockdowns and closures we've been through never need to return."

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: "Labour had ample opportunity to bring forward a roadmap out of lockdown, but refused to do so causing great uncertainty and confusion for many Welsh families, workers and businesses.

"Thanks to the UK's great vaccination story much more detail could've been announced prior to the election period - such as on hospitality, sport, gyms and other economic and social activities - but Labour chose to play politics instead of adopting the Welsh Conservative roadmap."

He added that "they're playing good political games just before an election, but given this latest review announcement has already been well trailed it should be led by the chief medical officer, not a Labour candidate, and the BBC should consider whether it's appropriate to be broadcast in this sensitive period".

WALES ELECTION: THE BASICS

What's happening? On 6 May, people will vote to elect 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs). The party that can command the support of a majority of MSs will form the Welsh government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Senedd have? MSs pass laws on aspects of life in Wales such as health, education and transport - and have some tax powers.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: "Our goal is to ensure our commitment to providing key public health information to audiences continues to be fulfilled without compromising our duty to fairness and impartiality across news and political coverage on television, radio and online.

"In all cases, our editorial decisions will be based on two considerations - the significance of the public health information to be discussed at the briefing, and the requirement for the BBC to exercise due impartiality during the election period, as set out in the BBC election guidelines and in Ofcom's election guidance.

"The approach to our coverage of government briefings in Wales and Scotland during the election period was outlined to all the parties prior to the start of the campaign, and our coverage remains consistent with that."