Restrictions eased on supermarkets and garden centres in Wales


The ban on supermarkets in Wales selling non-essential items is being lifted from Monday as the country slowly moves out of lockdown.

All non-essential retail was ordered to close on Christmas Eve last year as Wales entered alert level 4, but shops selling essential items such as food could remain open.

It meant supermarkets continued to trade but they were banned from selling anything not deemed essential, such as books, DVDs and toys.

Aisles were taped off to stop customers buying non-essential goods, but this ban is now being lifted.

Garden centres are also now allowed to open for the first time this year.

Will Thomas, owner of family-run business Greenmoor Nurseries in St Bride's, said: "It feels great.

"Up to now we've been doing click-and-collect and a few deliveries, but it's nicer when people are here. They can wander about and buy what they want.

"People are into gardening more now than they were before, so I think [the future's] looking good."

Supermarkets will be allowed to sell non-essential items from Monday 22 March. Credit: PA Images

The easements are part of a more cautious approach being adopted by the Welsh Government in leaving lockdown, due to the emergence of the highly-infectious Kent variant of the virus.

It has warned that if there are strong signs of a growth in infections, relaxations may need to be slowed, paused or reversed.

Under the phased reopening, some shops will not be able to reopen until April 12 at the earliest.

Lloyd Ridgwell, chief executive of furniture company SofaSofa, said: "It's incredibly frustrating.

"A great portion of our business is in our showroom here in Crumlin. People want to come and bounce up and down on the sofa and try it out, and we haven't been able to do that since November.

"We feel that we've taken all the precautious necessary. It's a big open space, there's lots of protection for people, but we're still told we can't reopen for another three weeks.

"It's great that hair salons can reopen - but we don't see the logic of why we're not allowed to. We're just waiting to open those doors."

On March 27 the "stay local" travel requirement will be lifted, which will move Wales from alert level 4 to 3.

Ahead of the Easter holidays, from March 27 self-contained accommodation will be allowed to resume business, libraries will reopen and organised outdoor children's activities can resume.

From April 12 there will be a full return to schools, colleges and other education settings, all shops will reopen and close contact services will resume.

If infection rates remain stable or continue to fall, ministers will decide on April 22 whether to allow gyms and leisure centres, outdoor attractions, outdoor hospitality, weddings and organised indoor and outdoor activities to resume.

Garden centres will be able to reopen on Monday in Wales.

Speaking last week, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "We are now entering a critical phase in the pandemic.

"We can see light at the end of the tunnel as we approach the end of a long and hard second wave, thanks to the amazing efforts of scientists and researchers across the world to develop effective vaccines.

"Our amazing vaccination programme has made vaccines available to people in the most at-risk groups at incredible speed."

The plan to ease lockdown will be revisited after every eligible adult has been offered a vaccination, which is scheduled to be by the end of July.