Coronavirus in Wales: Up to 30 can meet outdoors and gyms to reopen

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Groups of up to 30 people will be able to meet outdoors in places like Cardiff Castle from Monday

Up to 30 people can meet outdoors and children under 11 will not have to social distance from Monday.

First Minister Mark Drakeford also said swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres could reopen from 10 August.

Up to 30 people will be able to meet regardless of how many households they are from. More people may be able to meet indoors from 15 August, he added.

He said the new guidance for children was because of lower rates of transmission in their age group.

"We're not changing our rules indoors although if the virus remains effectively supressed we hope to be able to do that in two weeks' time," Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 5 Live:

He also said Wales would use "stronger enforcement powers" to "make sure that the rules that we are putting in place are being properly observed".

Indoor bowling alleys, auction houses and bingo halls will be able to resume trading on Monday, alongside indoor pubs, restaurants and cafes - providing there is social distancing.

The Welsh Government warned businesses faced "action" if they ignored social distancing measures "designed to keep Wales safe".

When lockdown was imposed in March any gathering of more than two people became illegal.

In June that was eased, and people from two different households were allowed to meet outside.

Ministers have been more relaxed about activities outside after scientific advice said the virus was likely to decay quickly when exposed to sunlight.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Scientific advice says coronavirus is likely to decay quickly in sunlight

The Welsh Government has been slower than other parts of the UK in lifting restrictions, and Welsh Labour ministers have emphasised a cautious approach.

But as coronavirus cases fell some of the most severe lockdown rules - including the travel ban and the enforced closure of non-essential shops - were removed.

At the same time measures such as contact tracing have been stepped up, with the hope that more testing will allow outbreaks to be isolated and stopped in their tracks.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Children under the age of 11 will not need to socially distance

Mr Drakeford said on Thursday that he hoped spikes would be dealt with "on a local basis" rather than returning to the national restrictions imposed in March.

The Welsh Conservatives called earlier in the week for people to be able to meet in larger groups, for theatres and bingo halls to be reopened and for indoor weddings to be permitted.

The party's Darren Millar said freedoms "have or are being safely restored in other parts of the UK and people in Wales should be able to enjoy them too".

Plaid Cymru said any easing of restrictions needed to be accompanied by a "robust mechanism to stamp out coronavirus outbreaks".

Rhun ap Iorwerth said recent turnaround times for tests did not fill him with "confidence that Welsh Government will be able to quickly react to new outbreaks".

The coronavirus lockdown in Wales is controlled by the Welsh Government, while the UK government in London has been dealing with the equivalent rules in England.