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The decision on a possible ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown in Wales will be taken in the coming days, the Welsh Minister for Health said
Vaughan Gething today revealed that the ‘circuit breaker’ plans are a ‘potential option’ the Welsh government will consider and a decision will be made this week
M Gething was speaking on the BBC’s breakfast this morning and said the October semester was a potential way « to introduce a break » if the Welsh government goes ahead with the decision
He said: « This week we are already having conversations with our scientists and our chief medical officer and this is a potential path that we are actively considering.
« Over the next few days we will have to make choices about whether or not to do this
« Many people see the half term of school as a potential way to introduce a break if we want to do that
« The next few days will be very important for getting personalized advice in Wales to understand what that might be like »
During a blackout, the suggestion would be that schools and workplaces would remain open, but the hospitality sector would be closed
The news comes as Halton and the rest of the Liverpool City area have been placed under the ‘very high’ or ‘Tier 3’ alert in an effort to curb the rise in Covid cases
Some businesses, especially leisure centers and bars, are closing their doors, but restaurants and schools remain open
Premier of Wales Mark Drakeford also said active discussions on the possible ‘circuit breaker’ were underway
Speaking to Sky News, he said: « We want to act now to prevent the worst from happening, to give us a better chance of getting through the rest of fall and winter, what if a circuit breaker is the right way to do it so that’s what we’ll do
M Drakeford stressed that his call on the UK government to restrict people in areas with high coronavirus rates, like Halton and Cheshire, to places with lower infection numbers is « not a border issue. «
People living in areas of Wales with local lockdown restrictions cannot travel to other areas of the country without a reasonable excuse, which does not include holidays
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But people living under restrictions in England can currently travel to unlocked areas of Wales, with Boris Johnson yet to respond to two letters from Mr. Drakeford asking him to stop them from doing it
M Drakeford said: « It is a simple, straightforward and practical action that prevents the flow of the virus from areas where there is a lot to areas where there is very little, and I am baffled why the Prime Minister continues to resist this idea
« All we ask is fair play, so that people living in high volume areas outside Wales cannot do things that people in Wales who live in in areas with strong coronavirus are already prevented from doing «
Lockdown Wales
World News – GB – Possible « breaker » decision for Wales in coming days
