FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford said today that he was looking forward to pubs and restaurants being able to welcome customers inside from August 3.

Speaking during the Welsh Government daily briefing today, Mr Drakeford said the move would depend on the coronavirus situation in Wales and premises adhering to strict social-distancing and hygiene measures.

Measures will including ordering food and drinks via table services, more intense cleaning regimes, different measures around toilet cleaning, and having a dedicated member of staff to ensure these measures are stuck to.

He said the time was not right now for them to reopen, adding: "We are not in that position in Wales."

Mr Drakford said: "I am very keen to be able to offer indoor hospitality the opportunity to reopen on August 3.

"There will be a series of mitigating measures that we have agreed with the providers of indoor hospitality, that they will have put in place to mitigate risks. But, as I've said all along, we review this policy at each stage against the prevalence of the virus. The virus remains where it is today and, with those mitigating measures in place, I am very confident that that industry will be able to reopen on the third of August and we are very keen to support them to do so."

Today, saw pubs, cafes and restaurants permitted to serve customers in outside areas as the latest in a package of measures to ease lockdown restrictions in Wales

The changes that came into effect today (Monday, July 13) are the first of a series of weekly changes on easing lockdown, added the First Minister.

"But that does not mean coronavirus has gone away," he said.

He added that, if the situation changes in regard to the virus, announced easing of measures could be postponed and others could even be reversed.

"It really does depend on how much the virus is in circulation," he said.

Safe hygiene standards and limiting close face-to-face conversations, the use of barriers are some of the measures for businesses to use when 2m guidelines cannot be met.