PEOPLE living in Chirk are set to live in line with stricter Covid-19 restrictions after the Welsh Government announced four regions in North Wales would enter a local lockdown on Thursday.

Wrexham, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy will have stricter measures imposed from 6pm on Thursday.

Those living in the affected areas will not be permitted to leave the area without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education.

People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households.

The new rules are coupled with rules already in place across Wales, including the compulsory wearing of face coverings in indoor public areas and on public transport.

All licensed premises must stop serving alcohol beyond 10pm.

Health minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in four north Wales local authority areas – in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Conwy.

“These are largely linked to people socialising indoors and are the pattern of transmission similar to what we have seen in South Wales.

“We have worked closely with local authority leaders and the police in North Wales and we all agree about the need to take swift action to control and the spread of the virus.

“Large parts of Wales will now be subject to local restrictions but I want to be clear – this is not a national lockdown.

“These are a series of local restrictions to respond to rises in cases in individual areas.

“It’s always difficult to make the decision to impose restrictions but we hope that these measures will make a positive difference – just as we have seen in Caerphilly and Newport, where residents have pulled together and followed the rules.”

Advice is available on the Welsh Government website regarding what is and is not permitted under the new regulations.

Residents of Wrexham County Borough will only be permitted to shop outside the region if they have no other reasonable means of purchasing essential goods – travelling out of the area to a clothes shop will not be allowed.

Advice on the Welsh Government website reads: "You are able to buy essential items from outside Wrexham County Borough Council if you can’t reasonably be expected to do this inside the area or get them delivered.

"But if you can reasonably be expected to obtain those items within the area, you must do so, even if this involves travelling further than you normally would to stay inside the Wrexham County Borough Council area."

Restaurants, bars and cafés will remain open, but residents can only visit these places with people they live with.

Outdoor sport is still permitted with up to 30 people, provided these are all residents within Wrexham County – social distancing must be in place as well as other reasonable measures to minimise risk of transmission.

For more information about the local lockdown, including childcare and work-related queries, visit https://gov.wales/wrexham-county-borough-lockdown-frequently-asked-questions