Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli in Local Lockdown

Sources: Wales Online | BBC News

Wales continues to face a rising number of coronavirus cases.

This forces the hand of the Health Minister to add more locations to the local lockdown list that now covers just under half of the population of Wales.

The lockdowns will come into effect in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, on Saturday at 18:00 BST and in Cardiff/Swansea on Sunday from 18:00.

As the news is so fresh, it hasn’t yet made it to Gov.Wales’ page on guidance for what the specific lockdown rules mean.

https://gov.wales/local-lockdown

The basic gist includes:

  • People will not be allowed to enter or leave the named lockdown area without a reasonable excuse.
    • this includes travelling to work, if you are unable to work from home; travelling to and from school if it is outside the borough or making a compassionate visit to a loved one or to give care.
    • Those living in the named lockdown areas should not leave the area to do anything they could be reasonably expected to be able to do within the area.
    • Similarly, those living outside the area should not enter the area to do anything they could be reasonably be expected to be able to do outside the area.
  • Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor places, which are open to the public, such as shops, as well as on public transport. (There are some limited exemptions for people with disabilities and medical conditions – these are the same as for public transport).
  • People will only be able to meet outdoors for the time being. People will not be able to meet members of their extended household indoors or form an extended household (sometimes known as a “bubble”).

Business and venues remain open but subject to local lockdown rules. People are advised not to meet those outside of their extended household.

Shielding was paused in Wales on August 16, 2020 and has not yet been reinstated.

Ministers will be looking at data over the weekend to see whether the local lockdowns need to be extended to Neath Port Talbot.