A significant easing of strict lockdown measures in Wales has been announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford today.
For the first time in more than two months people in Wales will be able to arrange to meet others from different households outdoors.
In doing this, however, people must still follow social distancing and strict hand hygiene practices to control the spread of the virus.
The changes, which come in on Monday, June 1, will mean some who live close enough to their families might be able to see them in person for the first time in almost 70 days.
Mr Drakeford said he didn't want people, in general, travelling more than five miles, to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading.
These changes will not apply to the 130,000 shielded people who are still instructed to stay at home because they are particularly at risk from the virus.
The changes to the regulations include:
Allowing members of two separate households in the same local area to meet outdoors at any one time as long as they maintain social distancing. It is thought there is a low risk of infection if the 2m physical distancing rule is maintained while outdoors. This does not need to be the same people from the same household each time. "Local" means not travelling more than five miles from home.
The two households can meet in private outdoor spaces, such as gardens, but this is thought to come with a higher risk of infection as people may have to pass through someone’s private home to reach a garden. The Welsh Government said it would provide guidance about the precautions which could be taken to minimise these risks.
Allowing weddings and civil partnerships to take place if the bride or groom is terminally ill.
The Welsh Government said beauty and tourist spots would remain closed.
The First Minister also said that non-essential retail businesses, which could comply with the physical distancing duty, should start to prepare to reopen over the next three weeks. A decision about whether non-essential retail will reopen will be taken at the next review on June 18 and will depend on the scientific and medical evidence, according to the Welsh Government
At the next review, the Welsh Government will examine options for:
Re-opening non-essential retail
Increasing capacity for childcare and public transport to support a wider return to work
Facilitating moving house to boost the housing market
Re-opening outdoors sites, including outdoor markets, sports courts, outdoor showrooms, and outdoor museums
Re-opening facilities for non-professional elite athletes to train safely.
You can get the latest on the changes and reaction to them in our live blog here.
For the past three weeks Wales has been in a stricter level of lockdown than England, where people have been allowed to travel as far as they like to exercise from mid May.
Yesterday Scotland announced similar measures to Wales, saying that people from two households could meet outside as long as they kept at least two metres apart.
The First Minister said the virus was still very much a threat and social distancing should still be observed.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain ahead of his statement on Friday, he said: "People will be allowed to meet in gardens but I do want to be really clear. This is permission for people to do it, it's not an invitation.
"The safest thing remains to see as few people as you can and to stay as locally as you can.
"So it's permission for people to do something which is very important but people should still be sensible about it, do it only when it's necessary, stay apart from one another.
"Running to people's houses, sitting in gardens close together, having a beer and it all breaking down - that's definitely not what we are proposing in Wales."
