Covid lockdown: Wales poised for decision on circuit-breaker

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image copyright Getty Images
image caption A decision on further restrictions is due to be announced later

A decision on a "short, sharp" national lockdown across Wales is due to be announced later.

First Minister Mark Drakeford is expected to make an announcement shortly after midday.

The Welsh Government cabinet will meet this morning to make a final decision over a circuit-breaker , after considering advice from experts.

But mounting speculation about a two-week lockdown to slow down the virus has been fuelled by a leaked letter .

Wales director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, John Pocket, wrote to members on Friday, saying a lockdown would start at 18:00 on 23 October and end on 9 November, which would "take us back to the situation in March".

He subsequently told PA Media he was "surmising" the outcome.

The Welsh Government's cabinet met on Sunday afternoon, with further discussions to be held on Monday morning before making a final decision.

image copyright Sarah Baker
image caption Businesses across Wales are waiting to hear if they will have to close

Businesses across Wales said they were anxious to find out whether they would be told to close .

Sarah Baker, owner of the Lot 11 cafes in Mold, Flintshire, and Wrexham, said: "Some days I think 'yes let's just have a full-on lockdown for three or four weeks and come out the other side'.

"The other side of me thinks 'let's learn to live with it and be as vigilant as we can'."

Lottie Dixon, who owns The Bloom Room florists in Monmouth, said the uncertainty had been tough.

"If I get classed as a non-essential business and have to close, what will I do?"

image caption Seventeen areas in Wales currently have local lockdown rules in place

There are already 17 areas in local lockdown across Wales, with a ban on all-but essential travel.

This means about 2.3 million people in Wales are currently living under local lockdown rules - more than two-thirds of the whole country - with other areas having more freedoms.

A circuit-breaker is a tight set of restrictions imposed for a fixed period of time and the Welsh Government has said its "fire-break" version would mean restrictions lasting "for weeks not months".

media caption The BBC's Laura Foster explains what a circuit breaker is and how it could help tackle Covid-19

Mr Drakeford said: "A successful fire-break would re-set the virus at a lower level.

"Together with a new national set of rules for the whole of Wales after the fire-break period we would have slowed the virus down enough to get us through to Christmas."

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