Decision due on Wales ‘circuit-breaker’ as government imposes travel ban

The Welsh Government is looking “very carefully” at introducing a time-limited circuit- breaker lockdown in Wales, its first minister has confirmed.

Mark Drakeford said the “short, sharp” lockdown could last for two and three weeks, with a decision due on Monday.

The Welsh Labour leader also suggested Wales could introduce new national restrictions after a successful reset of the virus, warning the country has about 2,500 daily infections.

A travel ban preventing people from areas of the UK with high levels of Covid entering Wales came into force at 6pm yesterday.

The restriction covers areas in England in Tier 2 or 3, as well as the central belt of Scotland, the whole of Northern Ireland and any other areas with high prevalence in future.

Speaking at the Welsh Government’s Covid- 19 press briefing yesterday, Mr Drakeford said a circuit-break is “the option that is most actively under consideration” for reducing levels of Covid-19.

He said: “We are looking very carefully at introducing a time-limited firebreak, also known as a circuit-breaker, of the type recommended by Sage, the UK’ s expert scientific advisory group and by our own advisers here in Wales.

“This would be a short, sharp shock to the virus which could turn back the clock, slowing down its spread and buying us more time and vital capacity in the health service.”

Mr Drakeford said ministers will discuss the circuit-breaker option and reveal any decision on Monday.

But he said the country will only stand a chance of getting through the Christmas period if the circuit-break is followed by “a new set of national rules for the whole of Wales”.

No de tail was given about what Wales- wide restrictions could look like.

“These are incredibly difficult decisions and we have not yet come to a final conclusion about whether a firebreak is the best way to act,” Mr Drakeford added.

Before the press conference, the first minister confirmed in a statement that Wales would bring in the travel ban for UK coronavirus hotspots after he said Boris Johnson had again failed to agree to impose one himself.

Mr Drakeford said he could not give a guaranteed date for the travel ban to end, saying it would “depend upon the way that events and circumstances unfold over the next couple of weeks”.

He added: “As I’ve said many times, the fewer people we meet, the fewer journeys we make, the safer we all are and our arrangements on travel are just designed to reinforce all of that.

“So, while they are necessary to turn back the flow of this deadly virus, while they are necessary to protect our NHS, while they’re necessary to save people’s lives, then those arrangements will have to stay in place.”