Starting Friday, Dec. 4, pubs and restaurants in Wales will not be allowed to serve alcohol and will be forced to close for dining nightly at 6 p.m. Indoor entertainment like arcades, bowling alleys, movie theaters and the like will have to close entirely. According to BBC, the rules will be reviewed on Dec. 17.
This is just one of the latest Covid-related crackdowns sweeping the globe as cases start to rise. First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the new rules, saying, “I know these new restrictions will be difficult, coming as they do at the one of the busiest times of the year for the sector. Unfortunately, we continue to face a virus which is moving incredibly quickly across Wales and a virus that will exploit every opportunity when we spend time with one another.”
In the wake of the shutdowns and restrictions, he also announced businesses would be offered £340m in support which he claimed was “the most generous package of financial assistance anywhere in the UK.”