Plaid’s plan centred on continuing lockdown, says leader
PLAID Cymru has today unveiled a seven-point coronavirus recovery plan, calling on Wales to adopt the New Zealand model of driving down the “R” number, suppressing cases and reducing the number of avoidable deaths to “zero”.
Plaid leader Adam Price said once the number of new cases had been successfully suppressed nationally, then a “more local” approach could be adopted with the ability to “re-impose lockdown measures” to quickly respond to new clusters.
Mr Price MS said: “With the rate of coronavirus transmission startlingly high, the stay at home message should be sent loudly and clearly. This is the only way to save lives. By respecting the lockdown, we will recover faster.
“If the Prime Minister insists on relaxing the lockdown in England, travel restrictions imposed within Wales and between Wales and other parts of the UK may be necessary in order to avoid a potentially disastrous impact on our communities. Plaid Cymru’s seven-point plan is centred on continuing the lockdown.
“When the number of new cases has been successfully suppressed nationally, then a more local approach can be adopted, with the ability to re-impose lockdown measures quickly in response to the emergence of new clusters.
“All efforts must now focus on driving down the R number – the rate at which the virus reproduces – to reduce the number of avoidable deaths to zero. This is the model adopted so successfully by New Zealand.
“Moving safely to the next phase on the path to recovery requires the Welsh Government to change gear, abandon the excuses and honour the promises to ramp up testing and tracing.”