Indoor hospitality in Wales to reopen from 3 August

Indoor hospitality in Wales can reopen from 3 August, the first minister has announced today, and the Welsh government has confirmed changes will be made to physical distancing regulations to reflect some of the challenges faced by the hospitality industry.

The law in Wales will continue to make the two-metre distance the default position, but when two metres cannot reasonably be maintained, the regulations will require businesses to put in place a set of additional measures to minimise the risk of the virus spreading, including taking reasonable steps to minimise close face-to-face contact and to maintain hygiene.

Self-contained holiday accommodation in Wales can reopen tomorrow, and outdoor spaces at pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés can reopen from Monday.

The Welsh government is also making changes to the regulations to allow larger gatherings of up to 30 people outdoors, only where these are organised and supervised by a responsible person, for sports and other leisure activities and classes.

The next formal review of the regulations is due by 30 July. Detailed discussions about how indoor hospitality can operate in a safe way are ongoing. Options for reopening will be considered from 3 August, if conditions allow.

UKHospitality executive director for Wales David Chapman said: “This is a vital move and one that the industry has been desperate to hear. The August period accounts for a substantial portion of annual revenue and the immediate sustainability of many of our businesses will depend on this reopening being successful.

“That being the case, we are asking Welsh government to consider, if the health climate allows, reopening three days earlier on Friday 31 to enable a full August of bookings for the sector. We have offered to work with ministers to develop final indoor opening guidelines to ensure a safe enabling of the delivery of either opening date.”