New lockdown confirmed for Wales – how will it affect individuals, businesses and schools?
Welsh Government has confirmed that the whole of Wales is to enter a two-week ‘fire-break’ period of lockdown between Sunday 23 October and Sunday 9 November.
First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced the ‘short, sharp shock’ in order to stop a sudden rise in the number of people contracting coronavirus across Wales – as many as 2,500 people every day – and to prevent hospitals and critical care units from becoming overwhelmed in the weeks and months ahead.
The move will also support efforts to limit restrictions around the forthcoming Christmas and New Year periods.
To help prepare for the lockdown, Welsh Government has published a series of frequently asked questions which includes information about schools, businesses and more. It also covers arrangements for events such as Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Council Leader Huw David said: “The First Minister has confirmed today that Covid-19 hospital admissions are rising rapidly, our critical units are already full, and there is a real risk of our NHS being overwhelmed if action is not taken now.
“Welsh Government is therefore introducing a ‘fire-break’ lockdown, and to make it work and help save lives, we will all need to act together.
“We will be making further announcements on the local impact of this, but in the meantime, residents should refer to the frequently asked questions provided by Welsh Government.”
The move follows a recent announcement from Welsh Government confirming that it is amending regulations to prevent people travelling to Wales from coronavirus ‘hot spots’ in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Speaking about it, the First Minister said: “To keep Wales safe, the Welsh Government is amending the regulations to make it clear that people living in areas with a high-prevalence of coronavirus in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland would not be able to travel to parts of Wales where there is a low prevalence.
“It is vital that we keep communities which have low levels of infection as safe as possible, and this sensible and necessary restriction will help prevent the virus moving from more urban, highly-populated areas to more sparsely-populated areas.”
The Welsh Government have put together an extensive Q&A page which should answer most questions. Visit Gov.Wales to see a series of frequently asked questions on the fire-break lockdown.
