Phil SumblerMark Drakeford has dropped the biggest hint yet that a reduced capacity could be heading the way at major sporting events as he says that minister will consider further restrictions when they meet on Monday.
Last night it was confirmed that nightclubs would close from December 27 with further restrictions in shops and supermarkets and now he has added that further restrictions may be needed when new data is received at the start of next week.
Speaking this morning on BBC Breakfast, Mr Drakeford said “We’d go back to the repertoire of things we needed to use earlier in the pandemic, some restrictions on the number of people who can meet wearing masks when you’re moving around inside pubs and restaurants, those sort of things that people are used to and have successfully used in the past.”
The big thing of course is for Swans fans with three games scheduled at the Swansea.com stadium between 29 December and 8 January and Mr Drakeford said that outdoor sporting events will be part of the consideration on Monday.
“There are major sporting events planned immediately after Christmas,” he said. “We’re getting further advice on Omicron and how it operates in the open air. When you have large crowds of people coming together, we have to weigh that up against the safeguards that are already there and will come to decisions on those matters on Monday and into next week.
“Cabinet will continue to be engaged in these things, as we see the evidence emerging.
“The cabinet decided yesterday (Thursday) that we needed some extra information about the way that the variant operates in the outdoors, particularly in places where there are already safeguards like the coronavirus pass in Wales in place.
“That information will develop and we will talk to the organisers of those big rugby derbies (on Boxing Day), the Welsh Grand National, and the football matches that are planned, and then we’ll come to some decisions on Monday as to how they can best go ahead.
“There is very concerning evidence from London and from Scotland at a rapid speed with which Omicron is taking hold. And the rising numbers of people needing hospital treatment.
“We’re not in that position in Wales, but we have to learn the lessons from what we’re seeing elsewhere. It means I cannot rule out further restrictions. We are not looking for restrictions for the sake of restrictions, but if we find out as the weeks, as the days go on, that the plans we’ve already announced need to be further strengthened.”
