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New lockdown rules coming into effect from Monday, June 1 in Wales mean people can meet members of another household outdoors.
But this must be in the local area with travel up to five miles allowed.
There have been a number of questions about how these measures will be policed and under what circumstances enforcement action will be taken.
As it stands, police are permitted to issue fines to people who do not adhere to the rules. If someone has travelled outside their local area without a reasonable excuse, they could be issued with a fine by police.
In Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed for a first offence and double for every offence thereafter up to £1,920.
This was brought in after evidence from police showed a “small minority” of people continued to breach regulations, particularly by travelling to well-known beauty spots which have been closed.
The Welsh Government has reminded people that gatherings outdoors which include members of more than two households will still be illegal after Monday and those involved can be fined or prosecuted.
As the new measures come into effect on Monday, WalesOnline asked each force in Wales how they plan to police them.
South Wales Police
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael said: “If people are frustrated by still being limited by those regulations, I want to remind them that this is a public health emergency; it’s not a policing emergency.
“People are still dying from Covid-19 and that’s why we all need to stick to the common sense rules that have been spelt out by the First Minister.”
He said South Wales Police have been offering advice and encouraging people to stick to the rules, without being “heavy handed”.
In an interview with BBC 5 Live on Friday, he said police are not afraid to enforce the measures where necessary, though it has generally been used as a last resort.
Asked whether people who travel significantly beyond the five-mile guidance issued by the Welsh Government will be turned around, he said: “Absolutely.”
“Five miles is obviously not a precise measure but it’s a guidance and if you use your common sense you can see it’s not an invitation to go long distances.”
Dyfed-Powys Police
Dyfed Powys said its overall aim will stay the same despite changes to the measures. It said this is “to encourage and support our communities to comply with the regulations and keep everyone as safe as possible.”
It added: “Our officers will continue to engage with the public, with enforcement remaining a last resort.
“We would ask potential visitors to be mindful of the differences between guidance issued in England and Wales, and encourage people to visit gov.wales/coronavirus if they are in any doubt about the current rules.
“We would also like to remind everyone that these changes do not come into force until Monday, and therefore our response this weekend will be the same as it has been in recent weeks.”
Gwent Police
Gwent Police said its approach continues to involve officers engaging with local communities “to reinforce the message; stay safe, stay local and maintain social distancing.”
“As part of this approach, officers will be explaining the situation and encouraging them to follow the advice we have all received to protect themselves and our NHS,” a spokesman for the force said.
“However, if we consider that people are ignoring government advice or if we are finding people are repeatedly disregarding the guidance, we have and will continue to take enforcement action.”
It also highlighted that the changes do not apply until Monday.
North Wales Police
Asked about enforcing the lockdown measures in North Wales, Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said the force’s approach remains the same.
“We are continuing to urge the public to adhere to the Welsh Government’s guidelines, and we will continue to engage with local communities to reinforce the message; stay safe, exercise locally and maintain social distancing as we remain committed to the national effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.”
He said where the force gets reports of breaches of the restrictions on beaches and beauty spots, it will “act to resolve the issue by engaging with the public and only where necessary will we take enforcement action.”
“We would like to remind people that the changes in the advice issued by the Welsh Government come into effect from Monday, and that there are still differences in the guidance in Wales and England,” he said.
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