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‘Mask up’ when crossing the border to Wales on public transport, says Drakeford

15 Jul 2021 3 minute read
Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford. Picture by the Welsh Government

People will have to “mask up” when crossing the border to Wales from England on public transport, Mark Drakeford has said.

The First Minister has emphasised that face coverings are still mandatory on public transport and in shops in Wales, while in England, where the rules are decided by Boris Johnson’s UK Government, people will just be advised to wear them.

Most Covid-19 rules in Wales are set to be scrapped from 7 August, as the nation moves into alert level zero, but face masks will still be legally required in shops and most indoor public places.

This means greater rules will exist here than over the border in England.

When asked about the issue on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mark Drakeford said: “Masks will be compulsory here in Wales on public transport, in health and social care settings, and in most indoor settings as well.

“We’re lifting the use of them in hospitality and in schools, and that’s we hope the first step in being able to lift mandatory use of them in more indoor settings.

“But the rules in Wales be clear from the 7th of August, continued mandation on masks in those places where the risks of contracting coronavirus are greatest.

‘Law in Wales’

When asked if people would have to “mask up” when crossing the border on public transport, he said: “Yes, that will be the case. The law in Wales will require people to use face coverings. If you are travelling by road to Wales today, you will see signs as you come across the border reminding people that in Wales it’s Welsh rules that apply.

“Those rules will apply on public transport. I hope that people will comply with the strong advice of the Prime Minister towear face coverings in England. That would mean they would be wearing them already when they come into Wales.

“If they’re not, then when they do cross he border, Welsh rules will apply.”

He also said: “Well now we believe, provided that the virus doesn’t have further unpleasant shocks to offer us, [we are] on the home straight of lifting restrictions in Wales.

“As from Saturday, people will be able to meet indoors and outdoors in greater numbers.

“Children will be able to attend outdoor residential centres, and as from the 7th of August, if things remain on track, then we will lift a further series of constrains on people meeting indoors and outdoors, in their own homes, attending events, and life will look quite  lot like it did before the pandemic began.”


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Bruce
Bruce
2 years ago

Good luck with that, the idiots from the Boris fan club are going to ignore it ‘because Boris said it was OK”.

Shan Morgain
2 years ago

We need roadblocks on incoming traffic to check for masks, and also registration of cars in England (second homes, tourism). Plus transport supervisors on trains. OFFA’S DYKE (time for a name change there – Clawdd Saes)

Notta Bott
Notta Bott
2 years ago

Can’t wait for all the viral videos of people kicking off when asked to mask up over the border. The same people crying its about freedom aren’t crying about the policing bill or NHS being privatised

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