TESTING TIMES
Limit put on tests in area on the brink
CORONAVIRUS has not been fair to the Rhondda Valley. At the height of the pandemic in April, the daily figures published by Public Health Wales often showed the area battling the highest numbers of new infections.
And it took a dreadful toll. No local authority in Wales has seen more deaths of people with Covid-19, when adjusted for population, than RCT. And one area in particular, Porth East, lost more residents, 29, than any other similar sized part of the nation.
Today the communities around Porth in the lower part of the valley are again in the news as a cluster of cases put the area on the brink of a local lockdown.
On Friday, First Minister Mark Drakeford was specific that it was this part of the valley that was at risk of a local lockdown.
“The rise in numbers in RCT is confined to a particular part of the county borough,” he said. “We are not seeing the same rise in the Cynon or Taff Ely as we have seen in the lower Rhondda.
“Actions that we will take will need to be proportionate and focus on where the problem lies.”
He added that the inter-disciplinary team monitoring the cases in the lower Rhondda would meet again on Monday to assess whether they were confident they were able to deal with the outbreak or whether they were seeing community spread that could only be dealt with by a local lockdown similar to that seen in Caerphilly.
In these affected communities, including Penygraig, Porth and Tonypandy, many are apprehensive about what is to come, fearing it could be the final nail in the coffin.
The independent businesses on Hannah Street, Porth, are survivors of years of decline.
A butcher’s shop, fresh fruit and veg, jewellers, hair dressers, independent gift shops, charity shops, cafes and takeaways, there is no visible major change to the area since I visited in October last year to discuss plans to boost the town.
“There are a few that are getting complacent, and it doesn’t help,” said Neil George, who has owned his hair salon on the street for 30 years.
Neil, stood at the front door of the salon where there is a rope restricting entry, explained he only has one client in at a time now.
“We have one client in and we have to allow extra time for cleaning in between. Obviously we are on less business at the moment but it is good to be back open and trading again.”
He said things are starting to slow down again now, with everyone having caught up on their much needed hair cut, but he believes something needs to be done to curb the rise in cases in the area.
“Obviously it is going to affect our community, but then again it is for safety. I think everybody should wear a mask now and that should have been brought in some time ago.”
On Friday, the Welsh Government announced that masks would be mandatory in shops and indoor public spaces from Monday.
For some businesses on the street, the rise in the area has tempted them to return to lockdown operations.
Les Jones, owner of Les’ Square Deal on Hannah Street, said he only recently reopened the store to customers, but is now considering going back to how he operated during lockdown.
The shop sells everything from paint to nuts and bolts and as an essential retailer, business was booming throughout lockdown.
People queued outside the shop from 8am and customers were served at the door, with Les and his wife Dianne fetching what they needed to them. Les suffers badly with asthma so this restriction ensured he was able to keep a safe distance from his customers.
“I was planning not to open but the cases dropped back down so we did it. We have put a hand sanitising station at the front and tell everyone to use it,” explained Les behind a Perspex screen at the shop’s counter while wearing a face mask.
When asked about how he feels about the rise in cases in the lower Rhondda, Les said it was “very worrying”. “They are trying their best [customers] most are, but there is always one who doesn’t. People are getting more relaxed. People should take notice of the cases rising and hopefully understand that it is important to distance ourselves and keep ourselves safe and the faster it will be over hopefully, otherwise it will be a long long time.”
Danielle Hancock, owner of furniture store Comfy Corner at the top of the high street, thinks there will be another lockdown, and believes there should be.
“It is the kids, parents get the kids. Get them home. Stop having their teenagers in gangs going about everywhere, there is no social distancing,” said the business owner who turned 40 in lockdown.
Danielle’s shop is on the corner of
Hannah Street, with wide windows around looking out onto the street and the train station. She has been at the business since she was 18.
She said she has a perfect view of young people who congregate in the area, and said it happens often.
“I have got Crohn’s disease and I am worried about getting it but I am worried about my business.”
In Tonypandy, some business owners are extremely worried about what another lockdown could do to their shop. Aziz Haroon owns a general store on Dunraven Street but has applied for a change of use to turn the store into a takeaway as the business is barely surviving.
“Another lockdown might mean the business will have to close, it will be very bad. Business is not good at the moment.” He said the shop sometimes takes as little as £20 a day.
One long-standing business on the street which has reopened following lockdown is the Card Cabin, which has been owned by the same family for almost 25 years.
Leanne Morris, whose husband’s father was the original owner of the shop, said customers are already preparing for a second lockdown.
“Our older customers are really missing coming in and having us help them. We would usually go around with them and get what they need,” said Leanne.
The shop had just started putting out cards ready for Christmas.
“A lot of our customers are coming in preparing for it, buying their stock ready in case. And across the road in Savers, they have seen some people starting to bulk buy again.”
In regards to the blame that has been shifted towards young people, Leanne, 46, said she hasn’t witnessed problems with them herself.
“My son is 21 and he is quite cautious, at the beginning he was not going out. I haven’t witnessed any issues with social distancing.”
On Thursday, RCT along with Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board, issued a plea to residents to avoid a lockdown. They asked people to avoid using public transport for non-essential journeys, advised them to work from home where able to do so, and to wear three-layer face coverings or masks in work and supermarkets.
Council leader Andrew Morgan said it wasn’t “inevitable” that a local lockdown will be enforced in Rhondda Cynon Taf, but said the next few days are “critical”.