CARMARTHENSHIRE’S town centres are being prepared to welcome shoppers back after months of closure due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Carmarthenshire County Council is supporting traders and businesses to get ready to re-open when lockdown rules in Wales are eased on Monday, June 22.

Non-essential retailers and markets will be allowed to open again, although cafes, restaurants, pubs, and services such as hairdressing and beauty salons are not yet permitted to open.a

A huge effort has been underway to prepare town centres to welcome shoppers and visitors back safely.

A comprehensive toolkit of resources has been prepared to support every retail and business premise providing advice to help them safely open their doors again.

Although back to business, town centres will look and feel a little different with queuing systems, sanitisation stations and sneeze screens in place in shops to protect staff and shoppers.

Visitors are being urged to be responsible and respectful to other people around them, by only visiting and shopping when necessary, staying home if they are unwell, respecting social distancing and heeding advice that they’re given by staff.

Public conveniences will also be open from Monday, and car parking is currently free at town centre car parks.

Leader of the council, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said: “We are so pleased that shops and markets are now able to prepare for re-opening, after such a long and difficult period of closure. Our town centres are vital to our local economy, providing services and employment for local people.

“It’s so important that we support our traders and help them get back on their feet. This will have been a most difficult time for them and we should show our support by shopping locally.

“That said, we also need to be responsible and look out for one another – we have worked incredibly hard to support businesses to re-open safely and it’s now down to us to respect the measures that have been put in place and continue social distancing to allow everyone, staff and shoppers, to stay safe.”

He added: “Alongside the re-opening of town centres, we have worked with town and community councils to prepare for the return of more outdoor spaces and look forward to further updates in the coming week as we start getting back to some kind of normality.”