TORFAEN is the latest council area in Gwent to enter a local lockdown, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

It is one of three local authority areas in Wales to be made subject to local coronavirus restrictions, and will enter lockdown at 6pm tomorrow "following a worrying rise in cases", first minister Mark Drakeford said today.

The restrictions, which will apply to the more than 90,000 people living in Torfaen – as well as residents of Neath Port Talbot and the Vale of Glamorgan – are:

  • People will not be allowed to enter or leave these areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education.
  • People will only be able to meet outdoors with people they don’t live with.
  • Residents will not be able to form, or be in, extended households (bubbles). This means meeting indoors with anyone you don’t live with is not allowed unless there is a good reason, such as providing care to a vulnerable person.
  • All licensed premises have to stop serving alcohol at 10pm (this is already a Wales-wide rule).
  • Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public places (this is already a Wales-wide rule). Some people are exempt from this rule.

"We are now taking further action and placing three more areas under local restrictions in South Wales – Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan – because we are seeing rising rates in these three areas," Mr Drakeford said. "These areas also share borders with local authority areas where rates are much higher.

"Introducing restrictions in any parts of Wales is always an incredibly difficult decision for us to make.

"But we’re acting to protect people’s health and to try and break the chain of transmission and stop the situation from getting worse."

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Mr Drakeford added: "This is not a regional lockdown – this is a series of local restrictions in each local authority area to respond to a specific rise in cases in each area, which have distinct and unique chains of transmission.

"In some places, such as Caerphilly and Newport, we have seen really positive falls in response and we hope they can begin to be relaxed if they continue.

"It’s really important everyone follows the rules where they live. We need everyone’s help to bring coronavirus under control.

"We need everyone to pull together and to follow the measures which are there to protect you and your loved ones."

Torfaen joins Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, and Newport in being made subject to local lockdown rules in Gwent – only Monmouthshire is not subject to local restrictions.

Cardiff and Swansea are entering local lockdowns this evening.