A RESTAURANT, bed and breakfast and events venue on the Herefordshire border says it is in an "impossible position" after new Covid rules were announced for Wales.

The Black Mountains Lodge, just four miles from the English border on the outskirts of Glasbury, near Hay-on-Wye, said the new restrictions in Wales made it "virtually impossible to make ends meet".

The new rules for Wales, announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford on Wednesday in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, include the rule of six, social distancing, compulsory face coverings and table service only for hospitality businesses.

But in a bid to overcome the challenges of the new restrictions, Black Mountains Lodge said it would push forward with takeaways.

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The venue, which boasts a bed and breakfast, restaurant, wedding space and a self-catering cottage, said on Wednesday: "With new restrictions the Welsh Government has announced today, we have been put into the impossible position of trying to keep a restaurant going yet again with restrictions that make it virtually impossible to make ends meet.

"We were going to start doing takeaways in January as we’ve been asked time and time again but couldn’t do so many takeaways during summer due to major staff shortages, we have decided to push this forward now to launch our takeaway menu on Wednesday, December 29.

"We look forward to feeding you all soon, we will run our takeaway menu Wednesday to Saturday 5.30pm to 8.30pm and our usual Sunday midday to 7pm."

Anyone wishing to order should call 07522 743429 or visit the Facebook page.

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First Minister Mark Drakeford told a Welsh Government briefing that cases of the Omicron variant had “risen sharply” since last week.

“We are also seeing a rapid rise in the overall rates of coronavirus across Wales. We expect this trend to continue and to accelerate,” he said.

“Omicron is here in Wales and it is spreading quickly.

“In England and Scotland, it has already overtaken Delta and become the dominant variant. That will soon become the case in Wales.

“Omicron has a doubling time of about two days. By Boxing Day, we will see many thousands of new cases across Wales every day.

“Already, people are off work sick, putting essential services under strain. This situation will get worse.

“This is an incredibly fast-moving situation – just a few weeks ago, no-one had heard about the Omicron variant. Today most countries in the world are affected by it.”

Large gatherings will also be banned in Wales when new restrictions come into force at 6am on Boxing Day. No more than 50 people will be able to meet outdoors, or 30 indoors.