‘SECOND FIREBREAK LOCKDOWN LIKELY’ – WARNING:
A SECOND firebreak lockdown could be required in Wales by January or February next year, Wales’ deputy minister for economy and transport has said.
Lee Waters said the Welsh Government was trying to “flatten the curve” of the second wave of Covid-19 but could not stop the virus from spreading entirely.
He acknowledged that people were “thoroughly fed-up” of restrictions, with frustration and anger directed towards the government making the decision.
“That is inevitable and I’m afraid its going to get worse,” Mr Waters told BBC Wales’ Sunday Supplement.
“This is not the last lockdown we’re likely to see.
“I think the projections in the papers we’ve published on our worst-case scenarios shows it’s likely we’re going to need to have another firebreak in January or February. It’s important that we can show that we are being rational, we’re being evidence-based and we are being transparent. We are trying our best to do that.”
Mr Waters said epidemiologists had predicted more than one peak of coronavirus, with the second worst than the first and “the third worse again”.
He told the BBC that the second peak had arrived, with a 57% increase in people in critical care in the past week.
“We are doing our best to try and flatten the curve,” Mr Waters said.
“We can’t stop the curve, we cannot stop this virus spreading and our best hope is to wait for a vaccine to help us to bring it under control.
“Until we have that, we’re going through what the epidemiologists called the hammer and the dance.
“The hammer comes down and then you emerge from it, so a dance of in, out, move around, down comes the hammer again when it gets out of control. That’s what we’re seeing across the world.”
Mr Waters told the programme the ban on supermarkets selling nonessential goods had “certainly gone down badly” with many people.
He said the distinction between essential and non-essential items had been present during the first lockdown, but “supermarkets largely ignored it” and “carried on as normal” while smaller shops were forced to close.
The ban has been enforced during the firebreak to ensure fairness and reduce the amount of time people are in supermarkets, Mr Waters said.
Supermarkets should be allowing the sale of items such as greetings cards and batteries as these are available in other stores that remain open, he confirmed.
“We’re going to sit down with the supermarkets to review how this has gone over the weekend,” Mr Waters said.
“We’re not reviewing the requirement for supermarkets not to sell nonessential, we’re going to review how it’s working in practice because clearly there are some bumps.”
Mr Waters said there was “discretion” for supermarkets in implementing the ban.
“Lots of people on social media have been getting in touch with me saying, ‘I can’t buy a microwave for my newborn baby to heat up their milk’,” he said. “Well in those circumstances, supermarkets are able to make a judgment whether they sell you that or not.”
Supermarkets have been told they must only sell essential items to discourage people from spending more time than necessary in shops and be fair to retailers who have to shut. On Saturday evening, First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted that ministers would be “reviewing how the weekend has gone” with supermarkets and “making sure that common sense is applied”.
He later also insisted supermarkets have “discretion” over the ban on selling nonessential items. Mr Drakeford said people
may need to buy such products “for entirely unexpected reasons which they couldn’t have foreseen” during the 17-day period.
Mr Drakeford told ITV Wales News yesterday: “I won’t need – I don’t think – to buy clothing over this two weeks and I think many, many people in Wales will be in that position too.
“For me, it won’t be essential. But I recognise that there will be some people who for entirely unexpected reasons which they couldn’t have foreseen will need to buy items.
“In those circumstances where those welfare reasons are at stake, we will make sure that our supermarkets understand they have the discretion to apply the rules differently.”
Mr Drakeford said ministers would meet with supermarkets today to discuss the ban.
Earlier, Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething also said the Welsh Government would review the “understanding, clarity and policy” of a ban on supermarkets selling non-essential items.
Mr Gething said the restriction, which has seen aisles cordoned off and plastic sheeting placed over products, had been applied differently in stores across Wales.
Mr Gething told The Andrew Marr Show yesterday: “We’re reviewing with supermarkets the understanding and the clarity and the policy because there’s been different application in different parts.
“We all need to step back and remember why the firebreak has been
introduced, to recognise that it is hard on lots of people, but we’re in a week where we’ve already seen 61 deaths take place here in Wales.
“Just about a month ago there were only six deaths in a week, so coronavirus is taking off. We are seeing more people lose their loves.”
The ban on selling non-essential items was announced in the Senedd on Thursday after Conservative MS Russell George said it was “unfair” to force independent clothing and hardware retailers to shut while similar goods were on sale in major supermarkets.
Mr Gething told the BBC the Welsh Government had worked with supermarkets on the ban and discussed which items were affected by it.
“We’ll talk to them again on Monday so everyone understands the position we’re in to have some clarity,” Mr Gething said. “It’s also about reducing the opportunity for contacts.
“That’s what we’re really trying to do – we’re asking people to stay at home to stay lives, that really is right back where we are.”
The Welsh Retail Consortium called for the ban to be “dropped quickly” and warned it could result in the “safe flow of customers” being undermined due to changes in store layouts.
Guidance previously published by the Welsh Government said certain sections of supermarkets must be “cordoned off or emptied, and closed to the public” during the two-week lockdown.
These include areas selling electrical goods, telephones, clothes, toys and games, garden products and dedicated sections for homewares.
Andrew RT Davies, shadow health minister for the Welsh Conservatives, said the Welsh Government was providing “mixed messaging” on the “draconian” ban.
“Over 50,000 people across Wales have now signed the petition calling for the ban to be scrapped and ministers should listen to the public,” Mr Davies said.
“I was also very concerned to hear Labour ministers are planning yet another national lockdown in the New Year when we are only two days into this current ‘firebreak’.
“A strategy of rolling nationwide lockdowns would be disastrous for the physical and mental wellbeing of the nation, as well as the Welsh economy and thousands of livelihoods. The First Minister and his colleagues need to urgently rethink their strategy before public confidence is well and truly shot.”
And Paul Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, asked for the Welsh Parliament to be recalled so members can discuss the ban.
He described the popularity of the petition as a “clear sign” that people in Wales want the rule “scrapped immediately”.
Under the firebreak rules, people can only leave their home for limited reasons, such as to buy food and medicine, provide care or take exercise, and must work from home where possible.
Leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses are closed, along with community centres, libraries and recycling centres, while places of worship are shut other than for funerals or wedding ceremonies.