Drakeford reveals when you might be able to order a pint in a pub in Wales

Mark Drakeford has revealed when you might be able to order a pint again in the pub in Wales.

The First Minister was asked about it on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, and said that he was hoping that outdoor hospitality could reopen in April.

He added that indoor hospitality would likely have to wait until May to reopen because it is “more dangerous”.

Drakeford told Andrew Marr that he would be setting out the prospectus for April and May in more detail on Thursday.

The First Minister said: “Well I’m hoping by the end of April people will be able to enjoy outdoor hospitality. Meeting indoors we know is always more dangerous. That’s likely to have to wait in may”

Andrew Marr told him that was “bad news” for many small businesses in Wales, who were “desperate” for a “roadmap” of when they could reopen.

Mark Drakeford responded: “Well I’ll be setting out on Thursday this week the prospectus through the whole of April and into may. It will give the sector the certainty that it is looking for.

“But this is an inherantly uncertain time. We study the figures in Wales every single day. At the moment things are heading in the right direction. but we know how quickly this virus can change, and I’m not prepared to give people false assurances too far into the future.

‘Lockdown’ 

The First Minister also told Marr that he couldn’t promise the people of Wales that the country would not go into lockdown again.

He said: “I’m afraid I don’t think anybody responsible in my position will be able to dot hat any time soon. Of course we hope it won’t be, but we see what’s happening on the continent of Europe. We know about the new variants that are being discovered around the globe.

“There’s a job of work still to be done  in making sure that coronavirus is genuinely in the rear-view mirror.”

Wales became the first country in the UK to lift the ‘stay local’ rule. This means that people are free to travel within Wales. However travel to other parts of the UK is still not permitted.

The rules have also been changed to enable organised outdoor activities and sports for children and under-18s to take place and up to six people from two different households to meet and exercise outdoors.

This follows the start of a phased re-opening of non-essential retail, including the opening of hairdressers and barbers.

Self-contained holiday accommodation, including hotels with en-suite facilities and room service, are able to reopen to people from the same household or support bubble.

The stay local rule has been replaced by an interim all-Wales travel area, which will remain in place until April 12, subject to the public health situation. For the next two weeks, only those with a reasonable excuse, such as work, will be able to travel into or out of Wales.