Enjoy the glorious sunshine at home

THERE is much talk about how and when to ease the lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to reveal his plans on Sunday, while First Minister Mark Drakeford is due to announce his plans for Wales “in due course”.

One of the main arguments for relaxing restrictions is to get the economy back up and running after a torrid two months which has seen many furloughed or lose their jobs and businesses close without knowing when, or if, they can ever reopen again.

A new “doomsday” forecast from the Bank of England predicts that the British economy could shrink by 14% this year – the biggest annual drop since the 15% recorded in 1706.

But while scores of people are suffering “lockdown fatigue”, are keen to see their loved ones and to get their working lives returning to some form of normality, nothing – absolutely nothing – has been announced yet and speculation on what form any easing, if there is any, is just that – speculation.

As things stand, despite the weather forecast predicting a “Spanish plume” of glorious May sunshine, the stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions remain in place for us all.

They are in place for good reasons – to stop the spread of the virus, to stop the NHS from being overwhelmed with new Covid-19 cases and to save lives.

As many of Wales’ leading clinicians have warned us, lifting these restrictions too early and too broadly could spell disaster.

Our weeks of remaining at home and adhering to the lockdown measures will all be in vain if we start venturing out now and flouting the expert advice being given to us.

And let’s not forget, if Boris Johnson does announce any easing of restrictions at 7pm on Sunday, the devolved governments have the right not to follow suit.

Scotland has clearly indicated that it is not going to be pressured into towing the UK Government line if those in Holyrood feel the measures are not in the interests of its own people.

And while Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford has consistently called for a “four-nations approach” to any easing, he too has said he will stand up for Wales if he felt any of the Prime Minister’s decisions would risk more lives.

So please, enjoy the bank holiday period, but do so in your own gardens and away from those who could suffer the most from this truly horrific virus.