ON SATURDAY, first minister Mark Drakeford announced alert level four restrictions would come in to force from midnight on December 20.

As well as meaning all non-essential retailers and hospitality businesses were forced to close from Sunday, the announcement also meant many people's Christmas plans had to change overnight.

Previously, a four-nation approach was agreed to allow up to three households from anywhere in the UK to mix over five days of relaxed restrictions, but last week the first minister announced this would be reduced to two in Wales.

READ MORE:

However, the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus and rising case rates meant people's Christmas plans will have to change again.

Here is a breakdown of the new Christmas restrictions:

  • The new rules mean households can only mix on Christmas Day - instead of over the five day period.
  • Households can form a ‘Christmas bubble’ with one other household - and each household can only be in one Christmas bubble.
  • You can travel anywhere within the UK for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble, subject to the rules where you are travelling to. However, if you are travelling to meet your bubble, be it in Wales or elsewhere, you must return by the end of the day.
  • Single households can join one Christmas bubble, meaning the maximum number of households in a bubble is three. Single households include where one adult lives alone, where one adult lives with any number of children under 18, or households where more than one adult lives, but one adult has caring responsibilities for all of the other adults in the home.
  • Children (aged under 18) whose parents do not live together may be part of both parents’ Christmas bubbles, if their parents choose to form separate bubbles.
  • People living in shared houses can form a separate bubble to their housemates, however, they should minimise contact with their housemates as much as possible for two weeks after Christmas.
  • Students who have returned home from university for Christmas are considered to be part of the household to which they have returned. They are not treated as part of their term-time household for this period.
  • You must not meet friends or family in your home or garden unless they are part of your Christmas bubble.

You can read our breakdown of all you need to know about the tier four restrictions in Wales here.