First Minister announces lifting of Wales’ “stay local guidance” and extended households allowed from Monday

The requirement to stay local will be lifted from next Monday (July 6th), First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed today.

However the Welsh Government is reminding everyone about the importance of social distancing, good hand hygiene and the need to respect the places and communities they visit.

This includes checking local information about the place they want to visit, going somewhere else if a place is already busy or car parks are full, making sure litter is not left behind, and showing respect for local residents.

The stay local guidance has been in place in Wales since the end of May. The “rule of thumb” has meant that residents in Wales have been advised to not travel more than five miles from home to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading as people begin to travel more.

There have been exception for those travelling to work, to seek care and shopping for essentials if they aren’t available locally.

Changes are also being made to the coronavirus regulations to allow families to be reunited from Monday as the concept of extended households is introduced. This will enable people in two separate households to join together to form one exclusive extended household.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “The number of coronavirus cases is declining, thanks to the efforts we have all taken together to reduce the spread of the virus. This means we can continue to make changes to the coronavirus regulations.

“From Monday, we will lift the requirement to stay local and introduce new changes to the rules to enable people from two separate households to join together to form one extended household.

“These changes will be welcomed by many as they represent a further easing of the lockdown – but this doesn’t mean that coronavirus has gone away. We all still have a responsibility to keep on doing all the things, which make a real difference to the spread of the virus.

“This means maintaining social distancing, thinking carefully about where we go and why, so together we continue to do all that we can to help to keep Wales safe.”

Under the new arrangements, from Monday 6 July:

– The legal requirement to stay local (and the associated guidance about the five-mile rule of thumb) no longer applies.
– There will be no limitation on travel but holiday accommodation in Wales will not be allowed to be open – self-contained accommodation is preparing to re-open from 11 July.
– People from two separate households will be able to join together to form one exclusive, extended household. But they can only be part of one extended household.
– Everyone joining the extended household must belong to the two households, which form the extended household.
– The extended household must contain the same individuals for the foreseeable future.
– If one member of an extended household develops symptoms of coronavirus, the entire extended household should self-isolate, not just those living together.
– We advise those in an extended household to keep records to help with contact tracing in case someone in the extended households tests positive for coronavirus.
– The changes follow the regular statutory review of the coronavirus regulations by Welsh Ministers, using the latest scientific and medical evidence from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Cell (TAC) and the advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

At the next review on 9 July, the Welsh Government will consider a range of specific options for re-opening the hospitality sector (bars and restaurants) outdoors from 13 July, self-contained holiday accommodation from 11 July and hairdressing by appointment.