‘Large part’ of region’s population in lockdown
FOUR more South Wales counties have been placed under a local lockdown, meaning a “large part” of the region’s population are now subjected to such restrictions.
The measures, which were already in force across Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) and Caerphilly county borough, now apply in the local authority areas of Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend and Newport after coming into force at 6pm on Tuesday.
The restrictions mean a large swathe of South Wales from Porthcawl and Magor in the south to the heads of the Valleys in the north are now subject to new lockdown rules – with Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan having been spared, for the time being, from Monday’s announcement.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething said there had been a “worrying and rapid rise” in cases of Covid-19 in the four new areas, which have a combined population of about 430,000 people.
Under the measures, people must not enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse and are only able to meet with other households outdoors, including members of their extended household.
All licensed premises such as pubs have to close at 11pm.
On Tuesday, Public Health Wales (PHW) said a further 281 people had tested positive for coronavirus – the highest daily increase since April 22.
Mr Gething told a press conference in Cardiff on Monday that there had been a “worrying and rapid rise in cases” in the council areas of Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend and Newport.
“We are seeing evidence of coronavirus spreading. We need to take action to control and, ultimately, reduce its spread and protect people’s health,” Mr Gething said.
“It’s always a difficult decision to introduce restrictions but coronavirus has not gone away – it is still circulating in communities across Wales and, as we are seeing in parts of South Wales, small clusters can quickly cause real issues in local communities.”
Mr Gething said the restrictions would affect a “large part” of the population of South Wales, and the South Wales Valleys.
Cases in Merthyr Tydfil appear to be focused around two clusters, linked to a large employer and the other to a pub, with two smaller clusters also identified.
When asked whether the Welsh Government regretted not putting Merthyr Tydfil into local lockdown sooner, as the number of cases per head has been higher for many more days than Bridgend, Newport and Blaenau Gwent, Mr Gething said: “A large number of the cases [in Merthyr Tydfil] have been linked to a single employer.
“If you turn your mind back to when there were cases in Rowan Foods in Wrexham and 2 Sisters in Anglesey, their case rates per 100,000 were significantly above the threshold for action.
“But we understood it was largely about a single site and large numbers of workers being affected around that. That meant we were able to act effectively around that group and to help those people to isolate. The employers cooperated with trade unions to get a message to those people, they were tested rapidly, and we were able to get on top of those challenges.
“We also had community testing and that led us to understanding that there wasn’t community transmission.”
But he said the situation in Merthyr Tydfil is now no longer isolated to one site as they’d hoped, adding: “The picture differs now in the south-east of Wales where, after having that large cluster around a single site, we are now seeing more evidence of community transmission in Merthyr Tydfil and the other local authorities we are taking action with today.”
The number of positive cases of Covid-19 in RCT, which went into local lockdown last Thursday, has continued to rise.
“Initially, most cases were in younger age groups but we are now seeing infections in all age groups and, particularly worrying, we have 34 cases of coronavirus in people in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital,” Mr Geth
ing said.
He said the area of Bridgend was a “growing concern... because there has been a sharp rise in cases in a short space of time.”
He added: “We have identified a small number of clusters in the borough, but we are worried the pattern is similar to what we have seen in [RCT].
“Mobile testing will be introduced in Bridgend this week.”
Infections in Blaenau Gwent have been linked to pubs and a lack of social distancing but there have been cases of Covid-19 in care home staff and secondary schools.
Newport’s rise in cases appeared to begin from a house party at the end of August that was then linked to pubs.
He added: “We are now seeing a wide spread of cases across the city, which are not linked to a particular cluster or showing links with existing cases.”
He described the measures in the six areas as “a more targeted form of intervention” than a Waleswide lockdown.
“We may, though, reach a point where the spread continues, where we need to take wider action across a region of Wales or indeed across the country,” Mr Gething said.
The new measures mean a huge area of South Wales is now under local lockdown.
It affects not only the largest urban areas in the four latest lockdown counties – including Newport city and the towns of Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Ebbw Vale – but also countless smaller communities including Abertillery, Brynmawr, Caerleon, Marshfield, Maesteg and Porthcawl.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a call with First Minister Mark Drakeford on
Monday.
A Welsh
Governmen t spokesman said:
“The First
Mi n i s t e r updated the
Prime Minister about the measures the Welsh Government is taking in Wales to control an increase in cases of coronavirus and protect people’s health in parts of South Wales.
“They agreed on the need to work on a fournation basis to discuss UK-wide measures where these were necessary.”
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Johnson had also spoken with the First Minister of Scotland and the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.
“During these calls, the Prime Minister made clear that the rising infection rates are a cause for great concern, which he is taking very seriously,” she said.
“He reiterated his unwavering commitment to working with the devolved administrations as we continue to tackle the virus.”
The total number of coronavi
rus cases in
Wales beginning the pandemic
21,159.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) had by far the highest number of new cases with 77, followed by Bridgend with 34, Cardiff with 30, Swansea with 28 and Merthyr Tydfil with 20.
Blaenau Gwent and Carmarthenshire had 16, Caerphilly had 11, Newport had nine and Vale of Glamorgan had eight. Conwy had five, Denbighshire had four, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Flintshire and Neath Port Talbot had three, while Anglesey, Gwynedd, Wrexham, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys had one.
There were no further deaths reported on Tuesday, with the total in the country remaining at 1,603.
The latest figures show the infection rate in Merthyr Tydfil has hit a new high of 112.7 infections for every 100,000 people in the last week – significantly the highest rate in Wales.
RCT remains the second hardest hit area with 102.4 infections for every 100,000 people. Blaenau Gwent has hit 68.7, Bridgend 65.3 and Newport 39.4.
The all-Wales average now stands at 32.1, up from the day before. since the of is now
We may, though, reach a point where the spread continues, where we need to take wider action across a region of Wales or indeed across the country” Health Minister Vaughan
Gething, right