Four pubs in Carmarthenshire - including a new bar that's only been open for two weeks - have been ordered to close for breaching Covid rules, say council bosses.
Carmarthenshire Council had warned people at the end of last week that they, along with officers from Dyfed-Powys Police, would be out in force in towns across the weekend to make sure that businesses - including pubs - were adhering to social distancing rules and other coronavirus based regulations.
The crackdown came after a football and cricket club in Drefach, near Porthyrhyd, was shut down and widely condemned for hosting a presentation evening at the end of August which resulted in a cluster of positive coronavirus cases and led to more than 100 people having to self-isolate.
Over Saturday and Sunday, two pubs in Carmarthen and two pubs in Ammanford were issued with closure notices for varying lengths of time, following inspections by council enforcement officers.
Infinity Bar, located at the site of the former Wimpy restaurant at the top end of Guildhall Square, only opened its doors for the first time on Friday, August 28.
However, just two weekends later, it has been issued with a closure order for seven days.
The Golden Lion, on Lammas Street in Carmarthen town centre, was ordered to close for a 48-hour period due to a “breach of coronavirus regulations”, while the same punishment was handed to two pubs in Ammanford - the Railway Inn and Ammanford and District Miners Welfare Club.
As well as the four closure notices issued on Saturday and Sunday, Pembrey and Burry Port Bowls Club was also ordered to close for 14 days on Thursday.
Carmarthenshire Council has not divulged the specific reasons behind the decisions to close individual premises, but during inspections a number of issues were observed which led to the orders being issued.
Chief among them was poor social distancing, a lack or track, trace and protect recording, tables being placed too close together, and allowing people to stand at the bar or stand while drinking.
A number of improvement orders were also handed out by the council over the weekend - meaning that, while businesses can remain open, they must display a marked improvement before any subsequent inspection or face closure.
On the whole, the council are said to be pleased with the way that the majority of venues visited were complying with the regulations.
