No plans for passes to be introduced at more venues
WALES is still in a “critical” situation with coronavirus – but there are currently no plans to introduce Covid Passes to more venues.
In the weekly Welsh Government press conference, finance minister Rebecca Evans said that the Cabinet was not yet looking at extending Covid Passes further – despite the First Minister warning that was a possibility.
The latest review would normally take place on Friday with information released on Thursday evening.
But, this week, it will be announced on Wednesday evening.
At the last review, Mark Drakeford said that venues should use the following three weeks to prepare.
He said at the time: “The hospitality industry needs to use the next three weeks to prepare for the possibility that Covid Passes might need to be introduced in that setting.”
The current rules were extended on Monday. The Evening Post asked the finance minister that, given fluctuating case rates, under what circumstances passes would be introduced for hospitality venues?
Some venues have already expressed concern in response to the First Minister’s warning that they will be required in venues.
Mrs Evans said she couldn’t give details of how such a scheme would be measured as there were not currently plans to introduce it.
“We have no immediate plans to introduce those Covid Passes more widely than they are at the moment,” she said.
“From yesterday (Monday), they’ve been extended to theatres, to concert halls and to cinemas and there is an ongoing discussion with the hospitality sector more widely about what we can be doing to ensure that people are safe in those environments.
“But there’s no immediate plan that I’m able to talk about because there is no immediate plan to to introduce such requirements.”
She also said that it was positive in terms of case numbers.
But added: “We are still in quite a critical situation and the amount of coronavirus in our community is still very high.
“So, there’s lots of we also have to do individually and collectively to keep each other safe.”
After this week’s review, the next will be due on December 10.
Meanwhile “lessons have been learnt” after chaotic scenes on Wales’s trains in Cardiff on Saturday night, a senior official at Transport for Wales has said.
Services were packed, and images from late-night services showed people packed into services and the aisles full of passengers, unable to socially distance and many without masks.
It is the law to wear masks on public transport in Wales unless medically exempt. It is not clear from the images if all those who aren’t wearing masks are exempt.
The game finished shortly after 9.30pm and thousands of fans who were there, along with thousands more watching in city centre bars, made their way to Cardiff Central railway station to head home.
Reports from the night said the pressure on carriages eased at Newport, but as it was the last service of the night,
people had no option but to cram onto the service.
During yesterday’s briefing we also asked Mrs Evans what action is being taken to stop the scenes being repeated. ahead of last night’s Wales football international at the Cardiff City Stadium.
She said: “It is really important that all public transport plays the role that it has in terms of people, keeping people safe and risk assessments are an important part of that.
“Obviously, we’re working closely with Transport for Wales to make sure that people understand the responsibilities on them as passengers when they when they get on to those trains and and also with other public transport providers, in terms of mask wearing, for example, so we need to see there is more signage, but also more announcements on those trains to ensure that people are aware of what’s required of them.”
She said Welsh Government was “talking to” Transport for Wales about the number of trains available after international games in particular.
Transport for Wales’s chief operating officer Marie Daly said 600 people tried to travel between Cardiff and Newport after the Belarus match and “because of the issues we had with buses”.
“We apologise for the impact that had on customers. We have taken the lessons learnt into this evening’s game with enhanced services after the game,” she told BBC Wales yesterday.
She said that since the rugby internationals had taken place at the Principality Stadium 6,000 masks had been handed out to fans travelling on services.
“On trains that are as busy as you’ve seen over the weekend, it is really hard for British Transport Police to get through those services.
“So we really need people to work with us and to take responsibility for wearing face coverings.”
“The role of British Transport Police is to understand why people are not wearing face coverings and that’s out first port of call,” she said.
“If people refuse to wear a face covering, then we have had instances where we have refused travel because people won’t comply with the legislation.”