Posted: Mon 30th Nov 2020

First Minister defends decision to impose new coronavirus restrictions in North Wales

North Wales news and information
This article is old - Published: Monday, Nov 30th, 2020

The First Minister has defended the Welsh Government’s decision to impose new coronavirus restrictions in North Wales.

It follows criticism from a Conservative MS who claimed a national approach to tackling the spread of Covid-19 would be “grossly unfair” to residents and businesses in the region.

Darren Millar said putting the same measures in place in Conwy and Denbighshire as Covid-19 hotspots in South Wales would “wreak havoc” in the hospitality and entertainment industries.

Mark Drakeford has today fleshed out the details of the latest rules, which will see restaurants, pubs and bars banned from selling alcohol and having to close at 6pm from Friday, although the sale of takeaways and deliveries will be allowed after closing time.

Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions must also shut their doors.

When questioned on the move to impose the restrictions nationwide, Mr Drakeford pointed out that coronavirus numbers were increasing in half of the six local authority areas in North Wales.

He said: “If the pattern in Wales was absolutely stable, so that low areas were always low and high areas are always high, then I think the case for different restrictions in different parts of the country would be stronger.

“But 10 days ago when I was standing here, I was being asked questions about why we were taking action in Ceredigion and in Pembrokeshire, where cases were very low.

“Today, the numbers in Ceredigion are nearly 200 per 100,000 and they have over 100 in Carmarthenshire and in Pembrokeshire as well. Things can change very rapidly.

“In North Wales today, three of the six local authorities have rising numbers, four of them have rising numbers in the under 25 age range.

“The actions we are taking in Wales are designed to protect people in North Wales, to allow them to hang on to the advantages of a firebreak for longer, and to stop the virus from heading back in those parts of Wales to where it is in other places. I think it is the right thing to do.”



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