Minister throws doubt on return of music and sport
THE health minister has thrown doubt on the prospect of music festivals or sporting fixtures with crowds taking place in the country this summer.
Vaughan Gething said he would be “delighted to be wrong” if large-scale events are able to go ahead, but that scientific and medical advice did not suggest it would be possible.
Mr Gething also described the Prime Minister’s announcement that all coronavirus restrictions could be lifted in England by June 21 as “optimism” rather than “data-led”, and that he doubted Mr Johnson’s plan to resume international travel in and out of the UK by May 17 at the earliest.
Yesterday, the health minister appeared at the Welsh Parliament’s health, social care and sports committee, where he was asked how the Prime Minister’s road map out of England’s lockdown was affecting public expectation in Wales.
Mr Gething said: “Whatever the Prime Minister says makes a big difference across the UK in terms of public messaging and understanding, now more than ever.
“I don’t see a path to re-normalising international travel in May. And the third week of May is a long time in the course of a pandemic. And the June date, again I think that is optimism rather than taking a data-led approach.
“I’d love to be in a position where you can have music festivals and full stadiums. That would be fantastic.
“If we could do that I’d be delighted – one of those occasions where you’d be delighted to be wrong. But that isn’t the advice that I see.”
Referring to chief medical officer Frank Atherton and chief scientific advisor Rob Orford, Mr Gething said: “That isn’t the advice that either Dr Orford or Dr Atherton are giving. We’re not building up people’s hopes and expectations, because if you can’t then do that, there’s a massive loss of trust.”
OFFICIALS from Bridgend council caught six businesses breaching coronavirus regulations last week.
Council staff closed a pizza restaurant and gave improvement notices to five other businesses for failing to follow rules such as wearing face masks between February 23 and 27.
Officers from the Shared Regulatory Service (SRS) closed Pizza Choice, Bettws, for two days after finding staff working without face masks on February 23.
A council spokesman said an improvement notice had previously been served on the business on February 14 for the same reason.
Officers also gave improvement notices to Pencoed Hand Car Wash (Penybont Rd), Eagle Auto Car Repairs (Ogmore Terrace), New Red Lantern (Wyndham St), and Katko Minimarket (Bethania St) during visits on February 23.
A document shared by Bridgend council revealed Pencoed Hand Car Wash, was “not operating on a click and collect basis” and “some staff” were not wearing masks properly.
It also stated staff were caught working without masks at Eagle Auto Car Repairs and New Red Lantern. According to the council, there was a “lack of Covid safety measures in place” at Katko Minimarket.
■■£740m in additional funding for the Welsh Government;
■■More than £130m of investment to turbocharge green recovery and accelerate the creation of almost 13,000 jobs;
■■A one-off £500 payment to eligible Working Tax Credit claimants and Covid-19 related income tax exemptions for employees; ■■Extension to the VAT reduction for the tourism and hospitality sectors; ■■Accelerated funding for the Swansea Bay, North-Wales and Mid-Wales City and Growth Deals. Accelerating these deals will help to deliver projects faster, create up to 12,800 new jobs and support an uplift to the regional economies of over £3.3bn; ■■£4.8m in 2021-22 for the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub: a green hydrogen demonstration project which will create 30 new high-skilled green jobs in Anglesey, indirectly support 500 jobs, and bring further investment into the area;
■■Up to £30m for the construction of a Global Centre for Rail Excellence in Neath Port Talbot, which will see up to 120 skilled jobs at the new rail and infrastructure testing facility; ■■Direct local investment to towns and communities across the UK to improve town centres, high streets, local transport and cultural assets through the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, the £150m UK-wide Community Ownership Fund, and Community Renewal Fund; ■■£2.8m to support the UK and Ireland’s 2030 World Cup bid and £25m investment in grassroots sports enough for 700 new pitches across the UK.