Supermarkets in Wales can sell non-essential items and garden centres can reopen from Monday 22 March, as Wales continues to ease Covid lockdown rules.

 

 

All Supermarkets were banned from selling any item not deemed essential when Wales entered alert level 4 on Christmas Eve. They were allowed to continue to sell essential items, such as food.

Shops that have already been open, but had non-essential aisles cordoned off, can now sell anything, but shops that only sell non-essential items will remain closed until 12 April.

Hair salons reopened and more school pupils began to return in Wales on 15 March.

The latest restrictions are being lifted as Wales’ coronavirus case rate has fallen below 50 per 100,000 people and the national Covid positivity rate is below 5% – both under the lockdown threshold.

The Welsh government has warned that if there are strong signs of growth in infections, relaxations may need to be slowed, paused or even reversed.

Speaking on Friday, Deputy First Minister Mark Drakeford said, in anticipation of the Easter holidays, the “stay local” travel requirement will be lifted on 27 March, “if conditions stay positive.”

This will move Wales from alert level 4 to level 3.

Also on 27 March, Wales will begin the process of reopening its tourism sector, starting with self-contained accommodation, libraries and outdoor children’s activities.

From 12 April there will be a full return to schools, colleges and other education settings, all shops will reopen and close contact services will resume.

Mr Drakeford said: “We are now entering a critical phase in the pandemic.

“We can see light at the end of the tunnel as we approach the end of a long and hard second wave, thanks to the amazing efforts of scientists and researchers across the world to develop effective vaccines.

“Our amazing vaccination programme has made vaccines available to people in the most at-risk groups at incredible speed.”

The plan to ease lockdown will be revisited after every eligible adult has been offered a vaccination, which is scheduled to be by the end of July.