PEOPLE living in two households in Wales can re-unite from next Monday, the Welsh Government has announced as plans to further ease the coronavirus lockdown.
Mark Drakeford said two households would be allowed to form an extended household from July 6.
Members of that joint household can be family members or friends, and they will be allowed to meet indoors.
The first minister said "grandparents will be able to hold grandchildren" if they form part of the same extended household.
July 6 is also the day the Welsh Government plans to lift the five-mile rule on staying local.
Despite Mr Drakeford previously insisting the five-mile rule was only a "rule of thumb", people who travel further than that may still be fined.
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The first minister said Wales was following similar extended household plans to those in Scotland and New Zealand.
But the Welsh Government's new policy comes with a fresh set of rules:
- People will only be allowed to form one extended household – there can be no "chopping and changing".
- Only people from two households can become part of an extended household.
- Once formed, an extended household cannot change "for the foreseeable future".
- If one member of an extended household develops Covid-19 symptoms, the entire extended household must self-isolate – not just the people living together.
- Extended households should keep records to help with contact tracing in case someone tests positive for Covid-19.
“Thanks to the efforts everyone has made over the last few months, we have seen the number of new cases of coronavirus decline – but it has not gone away.
“I know people are missing seeing their families," Mr Drakeford said. "We have some headroom to make a further change to the rules next week and we will introduce this new concept, which will enable people living in two separate households to form one extended household – they may be part of the same family or they may be close friends.
“This new arrangement will mean people can form one extended household and can meet indoors.”
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