Pubs and restaurants in Wales to reopen on Monday: Mark Drakeford

First minister Mark Drakeford will make the announcement in tomorrow's Welsh Government coronavirus press conference, he confirmed this afternoon.

Plans to re-open the economy have been phased in by the Welsh Government in recent weeks, based on the latest public health advice and "depend[ing] on the state of coronavirus".

Speaking on Heart Radio this afternoon, Mr Drakeford said he was "confident now that we’ll be able to go ahead, and I’ll be saying tomorrow that indoor hospitality will be reopening in Wales as from Monday".

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The first minister said he would happily go and eat at his local from Monday, given the safety measures that would be in place in hospitality venues across Wales.

"We have worked hard with the sector to make sure that all the mitigating measures that need to be in place will be in place," he said.

Mr Drakeford said he had been impressed by the public response to the opening of outdoor pub and restaurant areas this month.

First minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford.

"I've been in West Wales for a couple of days earlier last week, and made a bit of a point as I was going around in looking at the way that pubs and restaurants have been operating out of doors – and you know I’ve been really impressed at the careful way in which you see people have been organising things," he told Heart Radio. "People sitting at a careful distance, food being served at the table, markings on the floor to make sure people don’t bump into each by accident and so on.

"And we will expect the same care to be taken indoors by people who are running bars, pubs and so on – and then it will be safe and then yes I will be very pleased to go and eat."

Mr Drakeford was speaking to Heart South Wales Drive with Jagger and Woody.