Being careful is a Christmas gift we can give to everyone
MAE dechrau cyfnod yr adfen yn ddechrau ar godi’r hwyl am y Nadolig. Rydw i bob amser yn edrych ymlaen at yr adeg yma o’r flwyddyn, ond o ystyried ein profiad trwy gydol y pandemig hwn, rwy’n siŵr ein bod yn edrych ymlaen ato fwy nag arfer eleni. Mae angen yr amser arnom i ymlacio gyda’n teuluoedd a dal yn dynn wrth y rhai yr ydyn ni yn eu caru.
Fodd bynnag, mae mis Rhagfyr yn dechrau’n nerfus gyda newyddion am yr amrywiolyn omicron newydd. Dyma stori’r flwyddyn a thri chwarter diwethaf – mae llawer i dro wedi bod yng nghynffon y pandemig hwn, ac rwan eto rydyn ni’n dysgu bod raid i ni fod yn wyliadwrus . Rwy’n parhau i fod yn obeithiol y byddwn yn y pen draw yn dysgu i fyw gyda covid fel unrhyw salwch tymhorol arall, ond rwan rydan ni’n dal i ddysgu, ac mae’r firws ei hun yn dal i addasu.
Dyna pam, os ydan ni am allu cael rhywbeth sy’n debyg i Nadolig arferol gyda’n teuluoedd, mae’n angen bod yn ofalus. Roedden ni’n iawn yng Nghymru i beidio â chodi cyfyngiadau fel y gwnaethant dros y ffin yn yr haf. Ni chafwyd un ‘diwrnod rhyddid’ pan aeth hyn i gyd i ffwrdd, ac felly mae gwisgo masgiau wedi aros yma, er enghraifft, ac yn gywir felly.
Yn ogystal â chyflymu’r rhaglen frechu a hybu, rwan mae’r negeseuon ynghylch camau syml fel gwisgo masg, ceisio cyflwyno awyr iach, a chadw pellter oddi wrth eraill lle bo hynny’n bosibl mor bwysig ag erioed. Dyna sut yr ydan ni’n cadw Cymru ar agor. Ond ni all ‘agored’ olygu ‘dim cyfyngiadau’. Mae agored yn golygu pwyllog, ac o bosibl - os yw’r amrywiad hwn yn fygythiad sylweddol - mae’n golygu rhai newidiadau eraill i reoliadau. Ond mae bod yn ofalus yn anrheg y gallwn ei roi i gadw eraill yn ddiogel.
O siarad am anrhegion, fe wnes i ymweld â rhai busnesau yn Amlwch yn ddiweddar, i dynnu sylw at bwysigrwydd siopa’n lleol yn y cyfnod cyn y
TNadolig. Mae angen eich cwsmeriaeth ar fusnesau bach yn fwy nag erioed, ac mae gennym ddigon o ddewis ar gyfer prynu anrhegion yma ar Ynys Môn.
Mae fy nhîm hefyd wedi cychwyn ei apêl banc bwyd Adfent o Chwith blynyddol mewn partneriaeth ag ysgolion ledled Ynys Môn, i gefnogi’r bobl hynny sydd angen ychydig o help y Nadolig hwn. Os gallwch chi roi ychydig, bydd yna unigolion a theuluoedd ddiolchgar iawn ledled yr ynys, rwy’n addo ichi. HE beginning of the advent period marks the beginning of the build-up to Christmas. I always look forward to this time of year, but given our experience throughout this pandemic, I’m sure we’re looking forward to it more than usual this year. We need the time to relax with our families and hold tightly to those we love.
However, December begins nervously with news of the new omicron variant.This has been the story of the past year-andthree-quarters – this pandemic has brought many stings in its tail, and here again we learn that we have to be wary. I remain positive that ultimately we will learn to live with covid as another largely seasonal illness, but now we’re still learning, and the virus itself is still adapting.
That is why, if we are to be able to have something resembling a normal Christmas with our families, it pays to be cautious now. We were right in Wales not to lift restrictions as they did across the border in the summer.
There was no single ‘freedom day’ when all of this went away, and so the wearing of masks has remained here, for example, and rightly so.
As well as speeding up the vaccination and booster programme, now the messaging around the simple steps of mask wearing, trying to introduce fresh air, and keeping distance from others where possible is as important as ever. That’s how we keep Wales open. But ‘open’ can’t mean restriction-free.
Open means cautious, and possibly - if this variant proves to be a significant threat – means some other changes to regulations. But being careful is a gift we can give to keep other safe.
Speaking of gifts, I visited some businesses in Amlwch recently, to highlight the importance of shopping locally in the run-up to Christmas. Small businesses need your custom more than ever, and we have plenty of choice for gift-buying here on Ynys Môn.
My team has also begun its annual foodbank Reverse Advent appeal in partnership with schools across Anglesey, to support those people who need a little help this Christmas. If you can give a little, there’d be some very grateful individuals and families across the island, I promise you.
As always, please feel free to contact my office anytime on 01248 723599 or email rhun.apiorwerth@senedd.cymru and I, or a member of the team will be ready to help.
Rhun ap Iorwerth AS / MS