‘COVID-19 IS WAKING UP FOR WINTER’
FIRST MINISTER’S STARK WARNING OF SACRIFICES AHEAD AS 766 NEW CASES IN WALES – WITH 143 IN CARDIFF
FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford has steered away from introducing stringent new restrictions on pub opening times in Wales, just days after tougher rules were introduced in Scotland.
But he warned everyone in Wales will have to make sacrifices as the nation faces a rise in coronavirus cases – as he gave the stark message that “the virus is waking up for winter”.
His comments came as latest figures reported 766 new cases of Covid-19 in Wales, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 29,028.
Presenting the latest Welsh Government coronavirus briefing in Cardiff yesterday, Mr Drakeford stopped short of bringing in new Scottish-style restrictions on pub opening times – or closing them altogether as is happening in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
He said it would not be “proportionate” to close pubs here as there was no evidence the sector was driving the rise in cases.
“If there were to be further restrictions there is the huge impact it would have on business and jobs,” Mr Drakeford added.
“If you close pubs you push socialising back into homes and parks, where there is no track and trace and no safety measures.”
But he indicated there could be further restrictions if pubs were identified as the cause of rising cases.
Meanwhile, speaking generally about the situation facing Wales he warned there “is no quick way of making things get easier or better soon”.
“Over this winter we will all be asked to make further sacrifices, to protect the most vulnerable, to prevent our NHS from being overwhelmed and to keep as many businesses open and livelihoods operating safely as possible,” he said.
Mr Drakeford said that the sacrifices would be necessary as the number of people infected with coronavirus grew.
He said: “Once again, we have seen an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus – an average of 78 people a day in the last week.
“More people are testing positive every day. There are more reports of coronavirus in care homes in Wales. And very sadly, more people are dying from coronavirus. My thoughts are with all their friends and families.”
The First Minister also spoke of the wider impact of the virus, saying: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on all our lives, but especially our mental health and wellbeing.
“That is especially vivid, when we are having to deal with a resurgence in the virus in so many parts of Wales.
“During the summer, we saw coronavirus cases falling steadily and we were able to relax and lift many of the lockdown restrictions.
“It felt as through the worst was behind us – even though we knew the virus had not gone away.
“Now, in many parts of the United
More people are dying. My thoughts are with all their friends and families
First Minister Mark Drakeford
Kingdom, things are getting worse, and getting worse quickly.
“In Scotland, strict new measures have been introduced – pubs and other hospitality businesses have been closed in the central belt.
“And we are told that, on Monday, the UK Government will tighten restrictions in parts of England where levels of the virus are higher than anywhere in
Wales. Further afield, in Europe, lockdown measures are being reintroduced because the virus is, once again, out of control.
“Here in Wales, too, the virus is waking up for the winter.”
He said there was evidence that local lockdowns in south-east Wales – where measures have been in place longest – had been working.
He explained the rise in cases has “slowed and there are signs of the virus coming under control”, and cited a fall in cases in Blaenau Gwent which had once been the hardest-hit area of Wales.
“That is due to the efforts of everyone living in these areas, doing the everyday things, which make the greatest difference and helping us all by sticking with the new restrictions,” Mr Drakeford
added. But he said this progress had not gone far enough to lift lockdown restrictions in those areas.
And addressing the wider impact of local lockdowns, he added: “I know just how difficult and frustrating it is to find ourselves back in the position we faced earlier in the year.
“But I know and I know you know too that unless we take these actions now,
the position will get worse, not better.”
A recent rise cases in Caerphilly, after days of decline, has led to questions about public adherence to the rules.
Extending the lockdown for another seven days last night, the local authority said there had been a number of “incidents” at private clubs and hospital admissions were rising.
“Last week, we were quietly confident that we were beginning to see ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, however, this week has been quite different.
“We have experienced an increased number of local incidents across all parts of the county borough, including a number of issues linked to private clubs,” the council said.
Meanwhile, Halloween and Bonfire Night will have to take place differently this year “if they are to go ahead at all”.
“I’m very reluctant to say to children and young people that Halloween is cancelled in Wales but I do think there are ways in which it might be possible for a different sort of celebration to take place that doesn’t cause risk to them or to others,” Mr Drakeford said.
Further guidance on the events would be provided by the Welsh Government “closer to the time”.
In one minor change to rules governing children’s sporting activities, the Welsh Government amending regulations so that children will be allowed to take part in organised sporting activities if these take place outside their county boundaries.
On a separate matter, Mr Drakeford voiced his continuing frustration over communications with the UK Government.
He said he has not yet received a reply to his letter asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson to consider imposing travel restrictions on areas of England with high levels of coronavirus.
Mr Drakeford described the lack of a reply as “disappointing” but said he was aware of speculation that the UK Government could still introduce such restrictions. He said he was “prepared to wait until Monday” to see what that action would look like, but added that in the meantime the Welsh Government had been preparing “a set of potential actions” that it could take.
“If the UK Government isn’t prepared to do that sensible thing and prevent people from travelling and spreading the virus with them, then we will have to rely on our own powers which we do have and will use,” Mr Drakeford said. “But because we are hearing that the UK Government may do the right thing, I’m prepared to wait until Monday to hear what that might be.”