Welsh are warned off pub trips to England
WAleS will reopen its borders on April 12, but not its beer gardens – prompting leaders to urge the Welsh not to pop to england for a pint.
First Minister Mark Drakeford told drinkers to ‘think very carefully’ before visiting english beer gardens when they reopen two weeks before those in Wales.
outdoor service in pubs, bars and restaurants will start in england from April 12, according to Boris Johnson’s roadmap.
But they will only reopen in Wales two weeks later on April 26, although cross-border travel will begin on April 12, according to the Welsh version. The Welsh labour leader warned that people in Wales will be putting themselves at risk of catching the virus if they travel to england for a pint.
He said Welsh virus rates are the lowest in the UK and that unnecessary trips to a pub, cafe, or restaurant put people at risk.
He added: ‘You would definitely be visiting somewhere where the risks were higher. We
know there is a variant of this virus in Bristol, which so far we’ve managed to keep out of Wales completely. My message to people thinking about travelling across the border, in that couple of weeks before things are opening in Wales, is to think very carefully about it.
‘You really will not have long to wait before you’re able to enjoy exactly the same sorts of things in Wales where the current state of the virus is more benign.’
Mr Drakeford said he was warned by scientific advisers that bringing forward reopening of outdoor hospitality in line with England risked a rise in virus transmission. The
Welsh leader admitted frustration at being asked questions ‘as though England is always the template and everybody else has to be judged against what goes on there’ when comparing timings with Wales.
He added: ‘The numbers of people in Wales with coronavirus is lower and vaccination rates are higher than in England.
‘They are not the standard against which everybody else is judged.’ From April 12, shops in Wales will reopen in line with England. All school and college pupils can return for face-to-face teaching and canvassing for May 6 elections can also begin.