Sunbathing will be permitted as part of the easing of lockdown regulations, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

Expanding on the new rules announced today, the First Minister said that the changes would permit people to go outside to sunbathe, so long as they do so in their local area.

They are also allowed to go to the beach – but again, only if they live close to it.

He also said enforcement of the rules would be simpler than elsewhere, because there is only a limit on the number of households meeting, and not the number of people – so police won't have to count up the number of people coming together, only to see that two groups are two metres apart.

Mr Drakeford: "In parks, our rules will be easier to enforce than elsewhere. Police will not have to count up if there are the right number of people from the right number of houses.

"There will be one group of people from one household two metres away from another group from another household.

"You will be allowed to go out and sunbathe in parks and beaches as long as you are socially distancing, and so long as you are local."

In other updates he added:

  • It is hoped that more advice will be given to people who are shielding next week. Shielding is currently in place until mid June.
  • People who have to travel long distances to see family and friends will also be allowed to travel a little further than five miles to meet up with friends and family.
  • But exercising your own judgement "does not mean regarding five miles as 10 miles" unless it's for essential purposes.
  • Talks are ongoing with the UK Government to ensure changes to furlough rules do not have too serious an impact on industries such as tourism, which will not be able to reopen at the time they are asked to fund 20 per cent of furlough pay.

Mr Drakeford said: "If we are able to do this in the right way we will have headroom to ease the lockdown further in the future.

"It's not forever, it is for the next three weeks, and that's why it's so important people do it carefully and do it properly."