The First Minister has indicated that large events such as as festivals and half marathons will not be considered for resumption in Wales until at least June.
After announcing a comprehensive road map for the gradual easing of restrictions through April and May the First Minister suggested that organisers of festivals and events like half marathons would not be given the all-clear until into June.
“I have set out what is going to happen in the next three weeks,” said Mr Drakeford. “We have set out for three weeks beyond that and I have even indicated what would happen in the three-week cycle after that.
“That will take us to the end of May. Further easements beyond that will be considered in the cycle that will start at the end of May and take us into June but not before that.”
That next cycle would start on June 4 which would be too late for many event organisers who need a lot of notice before committing to making the investments needed to set up an event.
Some events have already been postponed including the popular Long Course Weekend triathlon in Tenby.
When asked why he can’t yet commit to allowing these events after all adults have been offered the vaccine in July the First Minister added: “We hope to have vaccinations to all adults by the end of July provided the supply of vaccine continues to come to us in the way that we have seen up until now. We have seen that there are complexities in that as well due to actions across the world.
“I do hope that we will be in a position where events will be able to resume. The announcement today is that in the month of May we will have a series of pilot events where people will be able to return to arts or sporting events.
“It's very important that we have those pilot events to learn from them and to make sure we can have that number of people together safely and then if we can to extend those numbers further.”
The First Minister did say that festivals going ahead this summer was “possible".
“Later on into the summer,” he said. “Provided things remain with the virus suppressed as it is today then we will be able to do more to allow more people back into events of that sort.
“And it is a possibility for this summer provided we do things in the way we set out today, step-by-step, learning from experience, not rushing or doing anything that could put at risk everything that we have put together over the weeks since Christmas.”
