Wales to enter 17-day ‘firebreak’ Covid lockdown on Friday

From 6pm on Friday, the whole of Wales will go back into lockdown – residents ordered to stay at home, non-essential retail, tourism and hospitality businesses closed.

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said scientists believed a “firebreak” would be the most effective way of curbing the spread of the virus, saying “if we do nothing, our health service will be overwhelmed and businesses will not be able to function”.