Coronavirus: Closing Wales-England border not a 'real option'

Vaughan Gething addressing the Welsh Government's coronavirus briefing

Closing the border between Wales and England to stop people breaking Welsh coronavirus lockdown rules is not a "real option", a minister has said.

In England people can "drive to other destinations" to exercise from Wednesday, but not in Wales, where exercise should remain local.

Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething told journalists: "I don't think closing the border is a real option."

He was also "not sure" Welsh ministers had the power to erect border controls.

Police forces in Wales have the power to fine people for making non-essential journeys and that includes those travelling from England into Wales.

On Monday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the four Welsh police forces were concerned traffic into Wales would continue to increase as a result of the change in the guidance in England.

Speaking at Tuesday's Welsh Government news conference on coronavirus, Mr Gething said: "I don't think closing the border is a real option.

"It may generate headlines and clicks [on news websites] but it doesn't actually help us at all."

Mr Gething said in order to check all people travelling between England and Wales, border controls would have to be erected and "I'm not sure we have the powers to do that".

"What really matters is policing and enforcing the laws, the regulations," he added.

Mr Gething repeated criticism the Welsh Government has made of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "change of tone" on the lockdown, saying it would have been helpful if there had been a "more informed discussion between the four nations [of the UK] at an earlier point in time".

"We could have worked through and avoided some of the confusion that I recognise exists," he said.

Asked about enforcing people not crossing borders, on Monday, the prime minister said there would be "myriad of hypothetical questions" about policy differences between the nations of the UK on lockdown.

"This is the moment for the whole country to come together, obey those rules and apply their common sense in the application of those rules," he said.