Over the past week the Welsh Government have announced new coronavirus regulations in the hopes of slowing the spread of the Omicron variant.
On Friday, it was confirmed that new restrictions would be brought in from Monday, December 27. From then on nightclubs across the country will have to close, while extra safety measures will be put in place across other industries. A two-metre social distancing rule will be brought into effect in offices and one-way systems and physical barriers will come back into play.
As of yet, there has been no definite decision on what, if any, restrictions will be imposed specifically on the hospitality industry, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that it was a possibility that a limit could be placed on the number of people who can meet, and that we could see a return to customers wearing masks inside pubs and restaurants.
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Ministers are set to meet today, Tuesday December 21, to discuss post-Christmas hospitality restrictions.
Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government was considering the "full range of possibilities" for the hospitality industry, and would be making decisions in the coming week.
Speaking on the BBC's Politics Wales programme on Sunday morning, he said: "I think the restrictions we are introducing after Christmas will help. Nightclubs will close, but it is not just nightclubs, the rules for work places, for retail are changing.
"We will be working this week on the rules about how hospitality will reopen after Christmas.
"I think it is inevitable when hospitality reopens we will need to build some extra defences into the way they operate otherwise people will not turn up there. That is the thing to remember, the reason we are doing this is for business reasons as well as health reasons."
Mr Drakeford said his government would be "looking back to the sorts of measures which we needed earlier in the pandemic", adding: "People will remember, it is not that long ago, that you went to a restaurant, your details were collected so they could be used for track and traces, that you ordered from where you sat, that you wore a mask when you moved around, not when you were eating and drinking, but if you were moving around the restaurant you used a mask when you moved around."
He also said "I'm not saying [the rule of six] isn't on the list of things we will consider but there are measures you can take before that and we will obviously be looking at the less intrusive measures first".
This comes after The Welsh Government announced on Monday night that crowds have been banned from sports fixtures at all levels in strict new covid rules.
Sporting events will be played behind closed doors from Boxing Day in Wales to help control the spread of the new omicron variant.
Economy minister Vaughan Gething announced the new measures for indoor and outdoor sporting events as the latest figures showed a further steep rise in the number of confirmed cases of the fast-moving variant.
He also confirmed a £3m Spectator Sports Fund will be available to support clubs and sporting venues affected by the new measures to protect public health. According to the Welsh Government further details about the fund will be available following discussions with the sector.
As it looks increasingly unlikely that Boris Johnson will impose any new restrictions in England before Christmas, this is how the rules in Wales compare to the rest of the UK.
Crowds at sports fixtures
New Covid restrictions have been announced for Wales.
Sporting events will be played behind closed doors from Boxing Day in Wales to help control the spread of the new omicron variant.
Economy minister Vaughan Gething announced the new measures for indoor and outdoor sporting events as the latest figures showed a further steep rise in the number of confirmed cases of the fast-moving variant.
He also confirmed a £3m Spectator Sports Fund will be available to support clubs and sporting venues affected by the new measures to protect public health. According to the Welsh Government further details about the fund will be available following discussions with the sector.
It means fans will not be permitted to watch the United Rugby Championship clash between Cardiff and the Scarlets at the Arms Park on Boxing Day.
The other Welsh derby contest taking place on December 26 between the Ospreys and the Dragons has already been postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the Swansea region's camp.
Fans of Swansea City, Cardiff City, Newport County, Wrexham and clubs further down the Welsh football pyramid will be unable to attend their side's home matches from Sunday.
As things stand, they can go to watch their side play away from home in England, although that could change in the near future.
There are currently no restrictions around crowds at sports games in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Hospitality
On Friday, it was confirmed that new restrictions would be brought in from Monday, December 27. From then on nightclubs across the country will have to close, while extra safety measures will be put in place across other industries. A two-metre social distancing rule will be brought into effect in offices and one-way systems and physical barriers will come back into play.
As of yet, there has been no definite decision on what, if any, restrictions will be imposed specifically on the hospitality industry, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that it was a possibility that a limit could be placed on the number of people who can meet, and that we could see a return to customers wearing masks inside pubs and restaurants.
Ministers are set to meet today, Tuesday December 21, to discuss post-Christmas hospitality restrictions.
In England there are currently no restrictions around hospitality.
In Scotland, face coverings can be removed while dancing, drinking and dining and drinking at the bar has been allowed in pubs.
However, venues have been asked to "limit the congestion taking place" at bars - although the Scottish government was not making table service mandatory.
And while nightclubs are still allowed to open, the latest measures mean indoor venues are required to reduce crowding and collect the contact details of customers to help with Test and Protect.
In Northern Ireland, proof of vaccination or a recent negative test is now required for entry to licensed premises, cinemas, theatres and conference halls.
Masks
In Wales, masks are mandatory on trains and other public transport and in all indoor public settings apart from pubs and restaurants. However, the Welsh Government is “strongly advising” that people wear masks in pubs and restaurants when not eating or drinking.
In England, face coverings must be worn in most indoor public settings apart from pubs and restaurants. That means in shops, banks, taxis, hairdressers, and on public transport.
In Scotland, face masks are mandatory on public transport and in indoor public settings and hospitality, with exceptions including for those eating, drinking or exercising, or when seated at a table.
The rules on masks in Northern Ireland are the same as those in Scotland.
Covid passes
In Wales, proof of double vaccination or a negative lateral flow test taken within the last 48 hours is required for nightclubs, unseated indoor events with over 500 people, outdoor unseated events with more than 4,000 people, and any event with more than 10,000 people.
As of December 15, the same rules now apply in England.
The same conditions are in place in Scotland, whereas in Northern Ireland, from December 13, the ‘Covid certification scheme’ requires proof of vaccination status, a negative lateral flow in the last 48 hours or a positive PCR test from the previous 30–180 days to enter licensed hospitality venues, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres, indoor events of more than 500 people, and outdoor events that can fit 4,000 or more.
Working from home
The Welsh Government has introduced new rules in Wales that people can be fined for not working from home when they are able to.
Workers in Wales have been advised to work from home where possible for months with the First Minister encouraging employers to allow them to do that.
However, from December 20 this has now been made part of the regulations.
This means that a person could be fined £60 if they go to work when they could work from home. Employers could be fined up to £10,000 if they repeatedly fail to allow people to work from home.
The regulations include a requirement for businesses to take all reasonable measures, including allowing or requiring people to work from home, to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus. According tot he Welsh Government the enforcement approach can include premises improvement and closure notices. A person who fails to comply a notice could receive a fixed penalty notice of £1,000 for the first notice, rising to up to £10,000.
In relation to the requirement for individual employees to work from home, if enforcement is needed the standard fixed penalty notice applies (a fine of £60, reduced to £30 if paid in 14 days).
In England, as of December 13 all office workers who can work from home should do so.
In Scotland, employers have been told they are legally required to allow staff to work from home where possible, until at least the middle of January. A workplace testing scheme, which delivers lateral flow kits twice a week, is in place for staff who cannot work remotely.
In Northern Ireland, ministers said that more people working from home would help to reduce the risk of infection both inside and outside the workplace. However, they didn't tell employers to impose home working, but instead asked them to support it "where possible".
Self-isolation rules
In both Wales and England, if you have any new symptoms of Covid-19, you should self-isolate and book a PCR test as soon as possible. This applies even if you have mild symptoms or if you have previously tested positive.
You should continue to isolate until you have received a positive test for Covid, you've been told to self-isolate following contact with someone who tested positive (Test and Trace), and if someone you live with has symptoms or tested positive.
In England, if you live with or have been in contact with someone with Covid-19, you will not need to self-isolate if any of the following apply:
- you're fully vaccinated – this means 14 days have passed since your final dose of a Covid-19 vaccine given by the NHS
- you're under 18 years, six months old
- you're taking part or have taken part in a Covid-19 vaccine trial
- you're not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
In Wales however, if you are a fully vaccinated adult, or a young person aged between five and 17, self-isolation and testing requirements will depend on whether someone in your household has symptoms or has tested positive.
In this instance, fully vaccinated means you have been vaccinated with a Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved Covid-19 vaccine in the UK, and at least 14 days have passed since you received the recommended doses of the vaccine.
In both countries, if you are a close contact of someone, including living in the same household, who is confirmed or suspected to have the Omicron variant, you must self-isolate regardless of you vaccination status or age.
In Scotland, if you’re identified as a household contact of a positive COVID-19 case, you are advised to self-isolate for 10 days - irrespective of vaccination status, PCR test result and age.
In Northern Ireland, if you are identified as a close contact you must isolate until you receive a negeative PCR test. If the PCR test is negative, isolation can stop but you should take a daily lateral flow test every day after the negative PCR result until the tenth day after your last date of contact with the positive case.
Fully vaccinated adults and children under five do not need to isolate. Adults should take a test on day two and day eight following contact. Children aged five to 17 should self-isolate and take a PCR test. If it is negative, they can end self-isolation. Not fully vaccinated adults must isolate for 10 days.
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