Vaccines are the difference to Christmas of last year

Who would have thought we’d be going into another Christmas with Covid-19 measures and restrictions in place?

I certainly thought, and hoped, that last Christmas was unique, but here we are once again - only this time with the benefit of the vaccination programme in full swing.

If there’s one thing you can do to protect yourself and others this Christmas, it’s to get your Covid-19 booster.

Hywel Dda health board are now offering drop-in appointments for anyone aged 35 and over at our mass vaccination centres in Llanelli and Carmarthen - please put this at the very top of your Christmas list.

Last week we heard that some covid prevention measures are being re-introduced, and we are all hoping that these can be kept to the minimum. Nobody wants to experience another lockdown.

Many of the measures coming back in from December 27 are practices we still have in place as a council.

Our staff continue to work from home wherever possible and have been doing so since the start of the pandemic - many of our services are literally being run from kitchen tables - and social distancing remains in place where staff have to go into our offices.

As we look forward to our Christmas and New Year break, I want to pay tribute to all our staff who continue to go the extra mile to support the residents and businesses of Carmarthenshire. Especially, I would like to thank the many staff who will be working over Christmas and New Year to provide services for people in need and to keep Carmarthenshire safe - you have our greatest thanks and admiration. Diolch yn fawr.

And to everyone in Carmarthenshire, on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council, I wish you a happy, safe, and healthy Christmas and new year.