Welsh restaurants and pubs could reopen indoors from August

Pubs, cafes and restaurants in Wales will be allowed to serve customers indoors from the start of August if Covid-19 cases continue to fall, but no date has been set for the reopening of gyms or swimming pools.

Campsites, hairdressers, beauty salons, cinemas and playgrounds are set to reopen in the next three weeks, and some amateur team sports, including football, will be able to resume, the Welsh government said.

The first minister, Mark Drakeford, also made it clear that Wales was reopening to tourists, but he said he would not hesitate to close down areas such as national parks if there were localised surges in coronavirus cases.

Drakeford said visitors to Wales were welcome, but asked them to act responsibly. “Wales is open. We ask people to come to Wales and visit safely. Coronavirus has not gone away,” he said.

The guidance on 2-metre social distancing remains in place in Wales, but Drakeford said that where this was not practical, businesses should introduce additional measures such as installing protective shields or appointing marshals for outdoor hospitality venues.

Asked why Wales was not yet allowing indoor gyms to reopen, Drakeford said: “I think there is evidence in other parts of the world that indoor gyms are places where the virus can flare up.”

From Monday, the following will be able to open, subject to observing guidance on coronavirus-safe ways to operate:

• hairdressing salons and barber shops, including mobile hairdressers

• pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes (outdoors)

• outdoor cinemas

• indoor visitor attractions, though a small number of underground visitor attractions will remain closed

• places of worship. Faith leaders can begin to gradually resume services when they are ready to do so safely.

Drakeford said fitness and dance classes can take place outdoors and “low-contact” sports, such as football, could be played, but not rugby. “A rugby scrum is a different matter,” he said.

Further reopenings from 27 July will include:

• nail, beauty and tanning salons and businesses providing massages, body piercings, tattooing, electrolysis or acupuncture

• indoor cinemas, museums, galleries and archive services

• tourist accommodation with shared facilities, such as camping sites (from 25 July).

No new coronavirus deaths were reported in Wales on Friday, for the second day this week.

Drakeford said: “The threat from coronavirus has not gone away and only by all of us acting responsibly will we be able to keep Wales safe. This means maintaining social distancing, thinking carefully about where we go and why.”

The government said that provided Monday’s reopening of outdoor hospitality goes well and the state of the virus allows, indoor opening for pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants will resume from 3 August.