COVID-19 rule breakers could find themselves facing hefty fines, the Welsh Government has warned.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced yesterday that Flintshire, Wrexham, Conwy and Denbighshire will go into lockdown on Thursday at 6pm.
The Welsh Government has set out details of how the rules will be enforced if members of the public can't follow them.
A spokesman said: "The restrictions are being enforced by local authority environmental health officers and the police.
"They can issue fixed penalty notices or recommend prosecution in a magistrates’ court.
"In addition, they have wide-ranging powers to take practical steps to disperse gatherings, require people to go home and enter property."
If reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus aren’t taken on premises or in the workplace, the spokesman explained local authority enforcement officers are now able to issue a premises improvement notice.
This requires the person responsible for the premises to take specified measures, and if those measures are not taken an officer may issue a “premises closure notice” requiring the premises to close.
Where necessary, an officer may also issue a premises closure notice without having previously issued a premises improvement notice.
So if people don’t comply premises can be closed down.
Regarding the police response, the Welsh Government spokesman continued: "The police in Wales will engage with people, explain what they need to do and encourage them to comply.
"But our police forces have been given powers and they will use them – the restrictions will be enforced if people don’t respond.
"The coronavirus regulations include provisions for a fixed penalty notice to be issued for most types of breaches of the regulations, carrying a fine of £60; this is increased to £120 for a second offence and continues to double for repeated offences, up to a maximum of £1,920. If prosecuted, however, a court can impose any fine (it is not limited).
"We hope people understand the severity of the situation we are facing and will comply with the regulations, without having to be issued penalties."
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