CORONAVIRUS SPREAD: ISOLATION
THIS year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod, due to have been staged in Denbighshire, has been postponed until next year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Urdd Gobaith Cymru said the decision was part of a range of measures announced on Monday morning that had been taken “for the health and wellbeing of its members, staff and volunteers”.
The Urdd will also close all three of its Residential Centres (Llangrannog, Cardiff and Glanllyn) to all residential activities from this Friday until further notice.
All national sports competitions and community activities are also cancelled indefinitely.
Urdd Chief Executive Sian Lewis said cancelling major events and closing its residential centres clearly present significant financial challenges to the Urdd and initial estimates suggest a hit of nearly £4m from the measures announced on Monday.
The Urdd is in discussion with all its partners including the Welsh Government regarding the impact the situation will have on the Urdd, its 320-strong workforce and the young people and children of Wales.
Ms Lewis said: “It’s hugely disappointing for all involved to have to close our centres and cancel our events, but the safety and wellbeing of our staff, members and supporters is paramount.
“Our aim now is to safeguard the organisation through planning a sustainable future and utilising our energy, commitment and values to helping Wales cope with this crisis.
“The movement, formed nearly a century ago with a firm commitment to Wales and wider humanity, will discuss the current situation with Government Ministers and also explore how the Urdd and its staff could best be deployed to meet the mounting challenges facing the elderly and most vulnerable in Wales.”
Urdd Gobaith Cymru is one of the largest employers in some areas of rural Wales (Llangrannog and Glan-llyn) and worth £31.5m to the Welsh economy.
More than 50,000 people visit the Urdd centres annually and 68,000 compete in the annual Eisteddfod. A further 11,000 participate in Urdd community sports clubs weekly.
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said it was time for the country to “go further” in its efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak and urged citizens to avoid socialising, non-essential travel and visiting care homes.
He also advised people to work from home if this was possible, and suggested “vulnerable” people – such as the elderly and pregnant – to stay behind closed doors for 12 weeks.
Mr Johnson also said “unnecessary” visits to friends and relatives in care homes should cease.
And the government also effectively banned major crowd events by saying the police would no longer attend them.
Mr Johnson, in the first of his planned daily coronavirus press conferences, revealed the battle to stop the virus spreading was about to “go further”.
He said: “Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others, and to stop all unnecessary travel.
“We need people to start working from home where they possibly can. And you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues.”
Mr Johnson said: “This advice about avoiding all social contact is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.”
He added: “The really strong advice that we are giving to people to avoid unnecessary contact with the over-70s, those with particular health conditions – absolutely, we don’t want to see people unnecessarily visiting care homes.”
Also speaking at the Number 10 press conference were Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.
Prof Whitty said that protecting care home residents will be one of “the most challenging things” to deal with during the Covid-19 outbreak.
He said: “Let me clear, that the ‘how be to protect people in care homes and nursing homes?’ is going to be one of the most challenging things for every nation on this question.”
Of the “prolonged period” of 12 weeks that the specified vulnerable groups are being asked to stay home, Mr Johnson said he understood misgivings about it but maintained it was necessary.
He said: “In a few days’ time – by this coming weekend – it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.
“This avoiding all social contact is especially important for the over70s, pregnant women and those with health conditions. It is now clear that the peak of the epidemic is coming faster in some parts of the country than others. People over 70 might feel there is something excessive about these measures. I believe they are overwhelmingly worth it to slow the spread of the disease reduce the peak save life minimise suffering and give our NHS the chance to cope”.
The “health conditions” in question include chronic lung, heart and kidney diseases.
Mr Johnson also said that anyone in a household where someone has the covid-19 coronavirus should go into isolation and remain at home for 14 days. They should find someone else to do their shopping or deliver supplies to their home, he said.
Mr Johnson said on Monday: “From tomorrow we will no longer be supporting mass gatherings with emergency workers in the way that we normally do”.
Schools will not be closed, but the Government’s scientific advisers said that may change in the future.
Mr Johnson said the government’s policy was “to minimise suffering and save life”, and “is based scrupulously on the best scientific advice”.
The UK is approaching a period when cases will rise quickly, he said. “Without drastic action, cases could double every five or six days.” The virus was spreading fastest in London, he said.
The government says the UK is leading international efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine and produce the medical equipment needed to help people recover.
In recent days the Prime Minister has spoken with world leaders including President Trump, Germany’s leader Chancellor Merkel, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, Prime Minister Conte of Italy and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.
Separately, the Ministry of Defence has said it is planning for “all eventualities” in response to the coronavirus.
Defence Minister James Heappey said: “We are planning for all eventualities in response to Covid-19 and we’re content that we have what we need within our resources to meet the likely requirements for government.”
Retailers have reported a rise in abuse of staff amid coronavirus panicbuying, despite supermarkets calling for calm from shoppers.
It comes after a chaotic weekend for retailers, which saw their shelves emptied of essential items after the virus outbreak was classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.
Supermarket websites and online grocers are also suffering from huge surges in orders, with some key items being rationed per customer.
Chief executives are in discussions with the Government about limiting products to ensure key lines remain in stock, although the prevailing view is that supply chains are holding up.
Testing is being prioritised for those who are at most at risk - for example those in who are in hospital care for pneumonia or acute respiratory illness, health officials say.