LOCKED DOWN
WALES ORDERED TO STAY AT HOME:
FIRST Minister Mark Drakeford has ordered people to stay at home for two weeks to break the rapidly increasing spread of coronavirus in Wales.
A fire-break lockdown will be come into force in Wales from this Friday, October 23, at 6pm and run until Monday, November 9. Mr Drakeford said that:
■ People must work from home unless they are critical workers
■ All non-essential retail, gyms, leisure centres, bars, restaurants and hospitality venues must close
■ Community centres, libraries and recycling centres will close
■ All indoor and outdoor gatherings with people you don’t live with are banned
■ Primary schools will reopen after half-term but secondaries will shut for all but years seven and eight.
If you break these new laws:
■ You may be told to go home or be removed from where you are and returned home
■ You could have to pay a fixed penalty notice of £60. This will rise to £120 for the second breach,
■ Or you could have criminal proceedings brought against you, and if found guilty you will have to pay a fine.
Local parks, playgrounds and outdoor gyms will remain open and people who live alone will be allowed to form a househo ld bubble with one other household.
The Welsh
Government has also published a list of acceptable reasons for leaving your home. People from outside Wales will not be able to visit on holiday or to go to second homes as the stay-at-home rule would put them in breach of Welsh law, Mr Drakeford said.
Wales has set up a £300 million economic resilience fund to help businesses hit by the lockdown. Small firms in retail, leisure and hospitality which have to close will get a one-off payment of up to £5,000, and every firm covered by small business rates relief will get £1,000.
Mr Drakeford said it had been a “difficult decision” for the Welsh Gov
ernment cabinet.
He said: “These discussions have shown that, once again, there are no easy choices in front of us as the virus is spreading rapidly in every part of Wales.
“If we do not act now it will continue to accelerate and there is a very real risk our NHS will be overwhelmed.
“The number of people being taken to hospital with coronavirus symptoms is growing every day.
“Our critical care units are already full.
“We are asking our healthcare and social care staff, who have already done so much, to work even harder.
“Unless we act the NHS will not be able to look
after the increasing number of people who will fall seriously ill in the coming weeks, even with the extra 5,000 beds we have available. And even more people will die.
“If this happens we would have to take even more extreme measures to bring the virus under control — we would be looking at an open-ended national lockdown such as the one we had in March of this year.
“Over the weekend the cabinet met to continue our discussions about a time-limited “fire-break”, a short, sharp, shock to turn back the clock, slow down the virus, and give us more time.
“We met again this morning and have reached the difficult decision to introduce a twoweek fire-break, starting at 6pm on Friday this week.
“It will include the halfterm holiday and cover two weeks, ending on Monday, November 9.
“The fire-break is the shortest we can make it, but that means it will have to be sharp and deep to have the maximum impact on the virus.
“Between Friday, October 23, and November 9, everyone in Wales will be required to stay at home.
“This means working from home wherever possible.
“The only exceptions will be critical workers and jobs where working from home is simply not possible. All non-essential retail, leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses will close. This is the same as during the March lockdown.
“Community centres, libraries and recycling centres will close. Places of worship will be closed for normal services, except
Unless we act the NHS will not be able to look after the increasing number of people who will fall seriously ill in the coming weeks, even with the extra 5,000 beds we have available. And even more people will die - First Minister Mark Drakeford
for funerals or wedding ceremonies.
“We have said repeatedly that children would be our top priority if further restrictions are needed and that education must continue.
“As a result, childcare will stay open.
“Primary and special schools will reopen as normal after half-term.
“Secondary schools will reopen after the half-term for children in years seven and eight. Pupils will be able to come in to take exams but other pupils will continue their learning from home for an extra week.
“Universities will continue to provide a blend of in person and online learning.
“In the same way we are asking everyone to stay at home. If students have reading weeks or halfterm they will also need to stay at home in their university accommodation.”
Mr Drakeford urged everyone to follow the rules. He said: “It is with a heavy heart that I once again ask everyone to stay at home and businesses to shut.
“We are all tired of coronavirus and the many rules and regulations we all have to live with.
“We all want to see an end to this pandemic and our lives returned to us.
“Unfortunately, we do not yet have a vaccine which will allow us to do that, so this is our best chance of regaining control of the virus and avoiding a much longer, and damaging, national lockdown.
“We have a small window of opportunity to act.
“To be successful, we need everyone’s help. Here in Wales, this is the moment to come together; to play our part in a common endeavour to once again protect the NHS and save lives.”