With new restrictions in place throughout Bridgend County Borough to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, Welsh government has announced that it is introducing further measures as part of a new UK-wide series of actions.
The first of these measures will require hospitality businesses such as pubs, cafes, restaurants and casinos to close at 10pm and provide table service only, and off-licences, including supermarkets, will also have to stop selling alcohol at 10pm.
The new actions will come into effect at 6pm on Thursday 24 September.
In related news, Welsh Government has also extended a moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent in order to support local businesses.
The move, which has been extended to 31 December 2020, means that while businesses should continue to pay rent, they will not be forced out of their premises if they miss a payment between now and the end of 2020.
The new measures are in addition to recent restrictions preventing people from entering or leaving the county borough without a reasonable excuse, or from forming extended households.
With residents required to work from home wherever possible, businesses and schools can remain open as long as they have appropriate precautions in place. Indoor and outdoor visits to care homes have been temporarily suspended, and the council has made the use of masks and face coverings mandatory on secondary school transport.
The Leader, Cllr Huw David, said: “Following a sharp, continuous rise in confirmed cases, these latest measures form part of a package designed to help control the spread of the coronavirus in Bridgend County Borough.
“Residents should continue to follow the rules on wearing masks, washing hands, using sanitiser and keeping socially distant, and it is also vitally important to avoid gathering in large numbers – for example, by not travelling to Porthcawl for the cancelled Elvis Festival.
“Anyone who develops a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or who notices a change in their sense of smell or taste should get a coronavirus test as quickly as possible, and self-isolate immediately.
“The council and its partners are working flat out to help you, your family and your friends, and will of course seek to return everything to normal as soon as it is safe to do so.”
- To find out more, visit the Welsh Government website at Wales