Coronavirus: Nearly 60 per cent of Wales now under lockdown as restrictions extended

Three more areas face tougher measures

Nearly 60 per cent of Wales is set to be under local lockdown restrictions from Monday (AFP/Getty)

Nearly 60 per cent of the Welsh population are set to be under local lockdowns from Monday, after the government announced further local restrictions to tackle rising coronavirus cases. 

Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan – all in the country’s south – will face new restrictions meaning people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. 

Residents will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with. 

The new rules for these three council areas in south Wales will come into force from 6pm on Monday, after which time more than 1.8 million people in the country will be under local lockdowns. 

The Welsh government made the announcement as Cardiff and Swansea prepared for further restrictions to apply from Sunday evening – putting one-quarter of the UK’s population under some form of tougher coronavirus measures. 

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, said the decision over the new local lockdowns was made following “rising rates” in the three affected areas. 

“Following a worrying rise in cases of coronavirus across south Wales, we took action on Friday to introduce local coronavirus restrictions in Llanelli and local restrictions will come into force in our two largest cities –Cardiff and Swansea – tonight,” he said. 

“We are now taking further action and placing three more areas under local restrictions in south Wales – Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan – because we are seeing rising rates in these three areas.”

On Saturday, there were a further 370 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total in the country to 22,584.

Public Health Wales said three further deaths had been reported, with the total since the beginning of the pandemic increasing to 1,612.

Additional reporting by Press Association