Wales will ban people from Covid hotspots in rest of UK from entering from Friday, Welsh leader Mark Drakeford announces
Pictured: Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford
The Welsh Government will attempt to prevent people living in Covid hotspots in the rest of Britain from travelling to Wales from Friday.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford today said the move was necessary ‘to prevent the spread of infection within Wales and to other areas of the UK’.
He added the action was being taken after Boris Johnson failed to reply to two letters requesting he introduce travel restrictions in areas of England with high infection rates.
Under regulations being prepared, people living in areas with high levels of coronavirus in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be able to travel to Wales.
The new restrictions are planned to come into force at 6pm on Friday. It is unclear how they will be enforced.
Mr Drakeford told the Welsh Parliament: ‘I have therefore asked for the necessary work to be brought forward, which would allow for devolved powers to be used to prevent people from travelling into Wales from high-prevalence areas of the United Kingdom.’
Under regulations being prepared, people living in areas with high levels of coronavirus in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be able to travel to Wales
He said it was ‘important’ to emphasise that it was not an issue regarding the border between Wales and England but a ‘matter of fairness’.
‘We’ve already heard from the First Minister of Scotland and she’s eager to support what we’re trying to do here. Now is the time for the Prime Minister to do the same thing,’ Mr Drakeford told the Senedd.
‘If he isn’t willing to do so then the timetable is for us to use the powers in Wales by the end of the week.’
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