Labour cabinet to discuss which restrictions to lift
LABOUR’S convincing win in the Senedd election means Wales has chosen to stick by Mark Drakeford as First Minister
His cabinet was due to meet yesterday afternoon to discuss which coronavirus restrictions can be lifted before the threeweek review period ends this Friday.
It comes as the UK’s chief medical officers announced that the UK coronavirus alert level has been downgraded from level 4 to level 3. The agreement was made, along with the NHS England national medical director, as coronavirus infections across the whole of the UK fell again.
Mr Drakeford is expected to hold a press conference on Friday where he will rubber-stamp the next set of changes likely to come into force in Wales on Monday, May 17.
He may well also choose to give some guidance as to whether he is considering easing restrictions further in June.
In a written statement on April 23, he said that providing there was a sustained period of improvement in the infection rate,
Wales would move to alert level two on May 17.
Alert level two includes the following changes:
■ Indoor hospitality can reopen;
■ Remainder of holiday accommodation can open (e.g. campsites with shared facilities) to members of single households or extended households;
■ Entertainment venues can open, including cinemas, bingo halls, bowling alleys, indoor play centres and areas, casinos, and amusement arcades; ■ Indoor visitor attractions can open, including museums, galleries, educational and heritage attractions, and heritage sites such as stately homes;
■ The rule of four applies for gatherings in regulated premises like a café (up to four people from four households) or a single household if more than four people. The rule of six continues outdoors;
■ Meeting indoors in private homes will still be limited to the extended household only (exclusive bubble);
■ The limits on organised activities increase to 30 indoors and 50 outdoors; ■ Wedding receptions can take place indoors in regulated premises for up to 30 people.
Wales’ Covid-19 infection rate now stands at 8.6 cases per 100,000 people, the lowest since August, while Denbighshire had no confirmed positive cases in a week before yesterday.
Last week the UK Government announced that foreign holidays can resume in England from May 17, although the Welsh Government has not said when it might ease the strict travel restrictions here.
But speaking on Politics Wales on Sunday, Local Government Minister Julie James said this topic was “very much part of the package of discussion”.
She said: “For us it will be ‘what can we do to keep people in Wales as safe and protected as possible, to continue our unbroken record of the rollout of the vaccine, and to make sure our numbers stay pleasingly low in Wales so we don’t have a situation where we start to spike back up again?’.”
The UK Government has announced plans in England to allow tourists to visit a “green” list of 12 destinations without having to quarantine upon return. These are: Portugal; Israel; Singapore; Australia; New Zealand; Brunei; Iceland; Gibraltar; Falkland Islands; Faroe Islands; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; St Helena, Tristan de Cunha, Ascension Island.
Ministers in Wales are yet to confirm whether they will stick with the UK Government’s plans or take a different approach.
England is also widely reported to be considering changing the guidance to allow hugging between friends and family. Asked about it on Radio 4, Health Minister Nadine Dorries said that “the data is looking extremely positive”.
She said: “We’ve all missed the hugs, we’ve all missed the close and intimate contact we’ve had with friends and family and so I’m hopeful that we will be hugging and kissing again indoors”.
It will be up to Mr Drakeford whether he brings in similar changes to the guidance in Wales.
The other big decision for the Welsh Government will be whether it plans to ease restrictions further in June.
The UK Government has previously said that it hopes to lift all restrictions on social contact by June 21, although some social distancing and maskwearing rules may remain in place.
This has not yet been confirmed in England and Mr Drakeford has not given such clear guidance for Wales. Hopes of summer events and festivals taking place will depend on the decisions taken in the coming weeks.
On May 3 a host of restrictions were lifted in Wales, including gyms, fitness facilities, leisure centres and swimming pools reopening; extended households permitted allowing two households to come together to form an exclusive bubble who can meet and have contact indoors; and children’s indoor activities recommencing along with organised indoor activities for adults for up to 15 people.