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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Owen Hughes & Will Hayward

First Minister Mark Drakeford indicates when pubs, restaurants and cafes could reopen indoors

Pubs, restaurants and cafes in Wales could reopen indoors around three weeks to a month after outdoor hospitality gets the go-ahead says First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Welsh Government has said that outdoor hospitality will come up for review on April 22 - with beer gardens and other outside spaces expected to reopen at some point over the three weeks following this date.

Mr Drakeford says it will take three weeks to access the impact of this move - and that it was "not unrealistic" to suggest hospitality could reopen indoors within a month of outdoors.

This would set it up for late May/early June.

In England indoor hospitality is currently scheduled to open on May 17 at the earliest.

Hospitality businesses are demanding urgent clarity on funding after April 1 and a reopening roadmap to ensure the survival of many in the sector.

Mr Drakeford told Walesonline said: "Outdoor hospitality including restaurants are on the table for discussion during the second half of April. As ever you would want to see how that went won't you?

"You will want to see whether that has been managed successfully. The next step would be to allow indoor hospitality."

He indicated that when open it would see the whole industry reopen rather than holding back certain sectors, like pubs.

Mr Drakeford added: "I think there is such a tension here between wanting to fine-tune the rules against the advice you have while trying to keep a clarity of message and helping the ability of people to understand what the rules are.

"I am not sure where the balance would come if you tried to distinguish between different types of hospitality."

He added it was not "unrealistic" to think reopening could be a month after outdoors, similar to the steps taken when easing lockdown last year.

He said: "What our own scientists say is that you need three weeks to fully assess the impact.

"You've got to think carefully about that advice and not rush our fences."

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