Wales will only follow England in reducing social distancing rule to one metre if science stacks up

Wales will only follow England in reducing the two metere social distancing rule if advice from scientists and medical experts say it is safe to do so, the First Minister has said.

It is expected that Boris Johnson will today a reduction in the guidance down to one metre.

Media reports suggest the Prime Minister will look at advice from experts and finalise changes to the advice, before seeking approval from his cabinet.

It’s also anticipated that the UK Government will give the hospitality sector in England the green light to reopen on 4 July.

Many pubs and restaurants have said the two metre rule would make it unviable for them to reopen as they would have to operate at a greatly reduced capacity.

If plans go ahead, the distance in England will be relaxed to a “one metre plus” rule with extra measures needed if people get too close.

At yesterday’s regular Welsh Government media briefing, First Minister Mark Drakeford was asked whether Wales would follow suit.

In response, he said: “We put the health of the public first, of course, we will follow the advice that the prime minister will be relying upon for any announcement that he makes.

“If the advice we get through our scientific networks and through our chief medical officer is that it is possible to amend the advice we gave and things can open safely of course that is what we would want to do.

“But we will assess that for ourselves, we will make decisions in a way that are right for Wales and the lens through which all decisions we make will be taken are whether or not it is possible to do things in a way that continues to provide the safety of the public.”

Darren Millar MS, who is the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Covid Recovery Minister, is one of those who has encouraged Mr Drakeford to follow suit.

He said: “The relaxation of social distancing rules from two metres to one metre would be a significant gamechanger for us here in Wales.

“Countless businesses, transport operators, and other enterprises across the country are simply not viable with a two-metre social distance rule, but a one-metre rule would throw them a lifeline.

“It seems to be perfectly safe and sensible to relax the rule while still protecting lives and livelihoods, so I urge the Welsh Government to take stock of the evidence and review the two-metre rule in Wales as soon as possible.”

You can view the full briefing from yesterday, plus the Q&A session on the below video:

Yn fyw gyda'r Prif Weinidog | Live with the First Minister https://t.co/P6JInFpaxo

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) June 22, 2020