be reassured they can be treated in hospital "safely and effectively". 23 october – wales begins its 17-day firebreak lockdown in a bid to slow the rise in covid cases and hospital admissions. 24 october – dafydd llywelyn, the dyfed-powys police and crime commissioner, warns that policing the second lockdown will be more difficult than the first because of covid fatigue, but urges people to take "personal responsibility". first minister mark drakeford announces the ban on the sale of non-essential items will be reviewed after a senedd petition calling for it to be reversed is signed by more than 37,000 in two days. the petition, created the previous day, will be debated in the parliament as it has passed the threshold of 5,000 needed for a senedd debate. a further 1,324 covid-19 cases are confirmed, and 16 deaths, the highest death toll in wales since 28 may. 25 october – first minister mark drakeford says the ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items will not be reversed. the most reverend john davies, the archbishop of wales, urges people to "respond sensibly" and "think of others" during the national lockdown, but expresses hope that christmas can be celebrated "in some form". 26 october – tesco apologises after advising a customer she could not buy sanitary products from a store in cardiff because they are non-essential items. health minister vaughan gething says the supermarket was "simply wrong" to give this advice, and says that going forward retailers will be able to use their "discretion". 27 october – retailers put forward proposals to "resolve confusion" over the sale of non-essential items, suggesting they are not cordoned off but instead a sign advises customers to put off their purchase, thus giving the customer the final decision over whether or not to buy the product. as the number of signatures on the senedd petition grows to 67,000, the welsh government publishes an updated list of goods that can be sold by retailers in a bid to clarify the matter. the list includes baby clothes, which are listed as essential items. the guidance also says that people should be able to purchase non-essential items in exceptional circumstances. a further 12 deaths are linked to hospital infections in the cwm taf morgannwg health board area, bringing the total to 69. 28 october – first minister mark drakeford confirms that non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes, gyms and leisure centres will reopen when the firebreak lockdown ends. figures published by public health wales indicate a dramatic rise in covid cases in rhondda cynon taf, with an example cited where a third of 800 people tested in a single day received positive results. 29 october – a further 48 workers at a food factory in bedwas test positive for covid-19. 30 october – first minister mark drakeford says there will not be a return to local lockdown rules when the 17-day "firebreak" measures end on 2 november, but instead a set of national rules will be introduced "for the sake of clarity and simplicity". 31 october – first minister mark drakeford announces that the firebreak lockdown will end on 9 november, regardless of the lockdown announced for england. november 2020 1 november – with the furlough scheme extended until december following the announcement of england's month-long lockdown, first minister mark drakeford expresses disappointment that wales's request to have it extended by the treasury for the duration of its own firebreak lockdown was rejected. 2 november – first minister mark drakeford announces that two households will be able to form a support bubble once the firebreak ends on 9 november. travel restrictions will also be lifted, but people will not be allowed to leave the country. fairwater primary school in cardiff closes after a large number of staff test positive for covid-19. 3 november – first minister mark drakeford announces that groups of four people from different households will be able to meet in pubs, bars and restaurants when the firebreak ends. larger groups from one household will be allowed to eat together, but people are asked to do so in the smallest groups possible. 5 november – data published by public health wales indicates that at least half of welsh schools have reported a case of covid. figures indicate merthyr tydfil has the highest rate of covid in the uk with 741 cases per 100,000. 6 november – cwm taf morgannwg health board consultant, dr dai samuel, calls for lockdown restrictions to continue in merthyr tydfil "for weeks, even months". in response the welsh government says there will be no return to local restrictions once the firebreak ends on 9 november. 7 november – the number of covid-related death in wales passes 2,000 as a further 32 deaths take the total to 2,014. health bosses fear the health service could be placed under extensive strain when the firebreak ends if new rules are not followed. 8 november – on the final day of the firebreak, health minister vaughan gething says covid cases are beginning to plateau in wales. figures produced by age cymru indicate that at least half of the 120,000 people shielding in wales earlier in the year were living alone. 9 november – wales's 17-day firebreak lockdown comes to an end. non-essential shops are allowed to reopen, along with restaurants, pubs and gyms. two households can again form a bubble, while four people from separate households can meet up indoors or outdoors. travel is permitted anywhere within wales. 10 november – gcse, as and a level exams scheduled for the summer of 2021 are scrapped in favour of grades based on classroom assessment. 11 november – students in wales wishing to travel home for christmas are told they must do so before 9 december. they will be offered rapid turnaround covid tests in order to minimise the risk of them spreading the virus. those required to self-isolate after testing positive will be allowed to travel home after 9 december. health officials announce that the dragon's heart hospital in cardiff, established as a field hospital to treat covid patients, is to be decommissioned and resume its role as a rugby stadium in time for the 2021 six nations championship. 12 november – figures indicate that 1,529 people are in hospital in wales with covid-19 related conditions, roughly 20% of all hospital beds in wales, and higher than at the peak of the pandemic in april 2020, but that only 40% of intensive care beds are occupied with covid patients when compared to earlier in the year. 15 november – dr giri shankar, of public health wales, says it is a "worry" to see queues of people outside shops on the first weekend after the firebreak lockdown was lifted. education minister kirsty williams says the welsh government is examining new evidence about the spread of covid among schoolchildren, and that face coverings may become compulsory for secondary school pupils. 16 november – health minister vaughan gething says it may be "weeks" before an announcement is made regarding covid rules over christmas. deeside rainbow hospital, built to increase hospital capacity during the covid crisis, has admitted its first patients. 17 november – the number of covid-19 related deaths in wales has exceeded 3,000 according to figures produced by the office for national statistics. 18 november – merthyr tydfil becomes the first area of wales to offer everyone living and working there a covid test, with the programme beginning on saturday 21 november. 19 november – the welsh government announces that all pupils and students may soon have access to mass testing. 20 november – as the latest infection survey for wales indicates covid-19 cases peaked at the end of october, first minister mark drakeford warns that wales will face tougher restrictions at christmas if cases surge. 21 november – a programme of mass testing begins in merthyr tydfil. 22 november – seven schools in the cardigan area and five in north pembrokeshire are to close because of links to a covid spread. the cardigan schools will reopen on 7 december, while pembrokeshire is yet to confirm the length of the closures there. 23 november – health minister vaughan gething suggests that tighter covid measures could be introduced in wales in the run up to christmas to bring it into line with other parts of the uk. the welsh government recommends that face coverings should be worn in all secondary schools in wales, apart from in classrooms. 24 november – figures from the office for national statistics indicate 190 covid deaths occurred in wales in the week ending 13 november, the highest weekly number since may. 25 november – first minister mark drakeford confirms his government is considering tougher restrictions in the weeks preceding christmas, with measures possibly correlating with the top tiers of england and scotland. 26 november – the police are to be given extra powers, including carrying out random vehicle checks to ensure people are adhering to covid regulations. the powers will be enforceable from 9am on fridays to 5pm on sundays. 27 november – first minister mark drakeford announces that pubs, restaurants and bars will be subject to tougher covid restrictions in the weeks preceding christmas, coming into force on friday 4 december, though exact details are to be finalised. mass covid testing is to be rolled out to a second area of wales, with people living and working in the lower cynon valley area being tested. 28 november – sam rowlands, the leader of conwy council, the area with the lowest covid rate in wales, criticises the welsh government's broad brush approach to the hospitality sector in the lead up to christmas. south wales police confirm they have issued twelve fines and asked a further fifteen people to leave cardiff during two days of vehicle checks in the city. 30 november – first minister mark drakeford announces that pubs, restaurants and cafes will not be permitted to sell alcohol from friday 4 december, and must close at 6pm, in order to tackle a rise in covid cases. in response, business groups have warned of the devastating impact on the welsh hospitality sector, with closures "guaranteed". figures have revealed that police forces in wales have issues more than 3,000 fines for covid breaches since the start of the crisis. december 2020 1 december – first minister mark drakeford comes under pressure from backbench labour members of the senedd to provide evidence for the welsh government's alcohol ban. health officials in wales say they are ready to roll out a vaccine within days subject to its approval. brains, one of wales's largest breweries, announces the closure of 100 pubs from friday 4 december. alistair darby, the company's boss, describes the new rules as "closure by stealth". 2 december – following the uk's approval of the pfizer/biontech vaccine, wales's chief medical officer, frank atherton, says he is unsure when care home residents will be able to receive the new vaccine due to storage temperature requirements. llandovery hospital in carmarthenshire is closed temporarily following a covid outbreak, and its patients transferred to amman valley hospital in ammanford. 3 december – the welsh government announces that travel will be permitted between wales and parts of england and scotland that are in tiers one and two from friday 4 december. 4 december – the hospitality sector alcohol ban comes into force at 6pm, forcing pubs to pour away gallons of beer. first minister mark drakeford announces that the first covid vaccinations will begin on tuesday 8 december. 8 december – the welsh government's technical advisory group have said the number of people dying of covid-19 far exceeds the worst-case scenario projected in a forecast made by swansea university. scientific advisers have "strongly" urged people to postpone christmas get-togethers and reunions, and suggested anyone with children should "pre-isolate" for ten days before meeting elderly relatives. health and care workers become the first people in wales to receive the pfizer/biontech covid vaccine. 9 december – wales's chief medical officer, frank atherton, advises households not to mix unless necessary in the weeks preceding christmas. data from public health wales indicates covid cases have hit their highest level in more than half of wales's council areas. first minister mark drakeford says that the covid situation in wales is "very difficult" but not out of control. 10