The Welsh First Minister has announced at a press conference this afternoon that pubs will be banned from serving alcohol from this Friday.
Despite England coming out of the second national lockdown from 2 December, Welsh Labour’s Mark Drakeford has taken the decision to ban pubs from serving alcohol.
Drakeford said: “From 6pm on Friday, new national measures will be introduced to provide new restrictions for hospitality and indoor entertainment attractions.
“Pubs, bars restaurants and cafes will have to close by 6pm and will not be allowed to serve alcohol – after 6 o’clock they will be able to provide takeaway services only.
“From that same date, indoor entertainment venues including cinemas, bingo halls, bowling alleys, soft play centres, casinos, skating rinks and amusement arcades will have to close.”
Further restrictions can be anticipated as Mr Drakeford suggested a revision of current lockdown rules on travel in Wales, dependent on England’s withdrawal from its second national lockdown this year.
These restrictions will be “formally reviewed by 17 December and then every 3 weeks”.
Despite Wales already having finished their second national lockdown, the prevention of the sale of alcohol in pubs may cause further damage to the hospitality industry, in which local businesses have suffered greater than national chains, such as J D Wetherspoons.
Recently, share prices in the Wetherspoons monopoly have increased.
However, Drakeford also announced that, in order to support struggling businesses in hospitality, the Welsh Assembly will be providing the “most generous package of financial assistance anywhere in the United Kingdom.”
