With the Welsh Government’s latest review of Covid-19 restrictions imminent, Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies has written to the First Minister urging him to relax lockdown measures in Wales.
In the letter to Mark Drakeford MS, James said he has received “many heartfelt pleas from constituents requesting a relaxation of the measures” and stressed that there is a great worry about the effect the current restrictions are having on the economy in Wales and on people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
His letter states:
“While I understand your caution with respect to the risk of a second peak, I believe that experiences elsewhere in the UK, and indeed worldwide, demonstrate that it would not be irresponsible to ease measures in Wales.
“The number of new Covid cases may not in some localities be as low as we might like, but these outbreaks almost exclusively relate to hospital and care settings. With effective test and trace procedures and local appropriate action, the threat posed to the more general population should now be very low.
“To ensure we can minimise the significant harm to our communities that economic collapse will bring, it is particularly important to allow shops, estate agents and showrooms to reopen and to provide a positive timeline for certain sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry.
“It is also vital to permit zoos and other outdoor attractions to reopen with suitable distancing measures.“
James has also called on the First Minister to alleviate the isolation and distress of many by permitting social bubbles, allowing outdoor sports and lifting the five mile social travel guidance.
James said:
“I am receiving ever increasing contact from constituents who are distressed at the fact that Wales is behind the rest of the UK in returning to some sense of normality. Businesses need clarity as to when they will be able to reopen and families that have been kept apart need hope. It is therefore vital that the First Minister provides them with this in his latest review of Covid restrictions in Wales this week.”
