Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Coronavirus Lockdown: ‘Why didn’t they stop this sooner?

The people of Rhondda Cynon Taf have expressed their frustration before the area enters the local closure at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Many wondered why more had not been done to prevent the clusters of infections that had emerged in lower Rhondda last week from spreading throughout the district.

There are now clusters of high infection rates in 15 of the 22 most populated areas in Rhondda Cynon Taf, according to council leader Andrew Morgan.

And some asked why action was not taken earlier before the virus spread so widely through the municipality.

Heledd Fychan, who represents Pontypridd Town on the RCT Council, said: “I am very disappointed but not surprised to see the local closure announced.

“More could have been done to try to avoid this blockade across the county, including introducing hyperlocal blocks around clusters and making face coverings mandatory earlier.”

Elyn Stephens, representing Ystrad, added: “It is the right decision to establish a localized blockade. There are questions to be answered as to why the blockade was not localized in the known clusters, in lower Rhondda, a fortnight ago, when first it became apparent.

“The response I have received so far to the ad has been overwhelming anger and frustration that the pubs are still open, when residents cannot see their families.”

This graph shows how cases in RCT have skyrocketed again in recent days

Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced a new set of restrictions during the latest Welsh Government briefing. You can consult the complete information here.

On the streets of Tonypandy, many felt they had to pay the price for other people taking too many liberties after the blockade was lifted.

Alison Davies, 52, of Tonypandy, said she agreed with the lockdown that has been started, but wished the extended homes had somehow remained in place to support the vulnerable.

She said she was worried about her mother, who lives alone, and feared another confinement would not be good for her mental health.

Alison said, “It’s really disappointing, when you’ve been trying to get everything done. I haven’t been far away.I go to church and work from home so I haven’t mixed with many people so now it’s disappointing because other people go to social gatherings that we have closed again.

“We feel that we are being victims through no fault of our own.”

Alison’s son, Ryan Davies, 17, said young people were unfairly blamed for the problems.

“I think they are blaming a whole group when I think they are some young people but also adults, all really,” he said.

The latest figures show that the rate of new cases in seven days is 82.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in Rhondda Cynon Taf. This is the second highest rate in Wales and one of the highest in the UK outside of Greater Manchester.

Although this is not far from the rate of RCT achieved at the height of the blockade, much more testing is being done, thus a higher proportion of cases are found.

As of early April, fewer than 100 tests were being conducted a day. In one day, April 8, there were 49 positive results from 89 tests performed, suggesting that many more cases went undiagnosed. In contrast, the 51 positive test results on September 12 came from 701 tests.

As part of the new rules, all pubs in the county must close at 11pm.

Heather Bowen of Trealaw, 56, said she doesn’t understand why people can still go to bars and restaurants.

“I know people have to trade, but I think there has to be some kind of pattern as to where the strings are pulled. As for open pubs, is there social distancing? “

All other new rules in the area have been established here.

In Pontypridd, the news broke on a sunny afternoon when the city center was full of people. On Taff Street, people also enjoyed a few drinks in the sun outside pubs and bars.

Chloe Ridgway-Pring, 30, of Pontypridd, was visiting town with her baby when the announcement was made.

Chloe said, “I’m really upset that I just started dating, because I had my son during the lockdown.”

“I have booked to go to baby classes and different events, which have now been canceled and Alistair has not met any babies yet.

“It is only in the last two months that he has been able to be held by members of his family.”

17-year-old Jed Gurner of Glyntaff welcomed the shutdown as he said people had been taking too many risks.

“People were celebrating their parties, they were having more social gatherings than they should have, which increased the peak with the coronavirus,” he said.

“Going back to the confinement may not be the best thing for some people, but it will show them how serious this disease is.

“I’ve seen a lot of people having parties, going out and thinking ‘aren’t you thinking about your life or someone else’s?’

“One person can affect many people.”

Jed Lewis, 25, of Pontypridd, feared the local lockdown would cause more problems than it solved.

He said, “I can see they are trying to do good but in a way I think in the long run it will create bigger problems than it will actually solve, you know?

“It could create a lot more problems for the economy.

“People still have to work, life has to go on, but I can see where they come from.

Hywel Lougher, who was once a resident of Pontypridd but now lives in Cardiff, also thought it a good idea to apply stricter restrictions.

But he stressed that rules must be followed to ensure the confinement is worthwhile, and feels that people should be able to live their lives a little longer.

Hywel said, “I think it’s a good idea as long as everyone follows the restrictions that are imposed, but I think maybe people don’t need to be told what they are doing with their lives so much.”

“I think as long as everyone is aware of the guidelines, I think people should be able to do whatever they want.”

Councilman Martin Fidler Jones, who represents Hawthorn on the RCT Council, said: “Today’s news that there may be community transmission of the virus, potentially linked to groups of downright irresponsible behavior, is upsetting to many who have endured months of sacrifice. to catch the virus, I am deeply concerned about the effect it will have on people’s mental health.

“It is important that our response is targeted and specific and there are justifiable concerns about whether it is appropriate to block the entirety of a large and diverse county like RCT stretching from Pontyclun to Penderyn if the cases are located in specific parts.”

Plaid group leader on the RCT board, Pauline Jarman, welcomed the news, but said the lockdown would have a significant impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

“I raised her at the meeting that one of my constituents had been in contact with such a query. She owns and hires a caravan in Trecco Bay and all reservations until the end of October are made at RCT,” he said.

“She relies on these reservations to cover the costs of the site fee and other overheads. She asked me if she had to cancel the reservations and disappoint the families, as well as lose income. No one could answer, but they doubt the reservations are” essential “.

On the issue of the blockade itself, he said: “It is now clear that this blockade is necessary as a consequence of some people not observing the rules on social distancing in their daily lives.

“I now call on everyone to relentlessly follow the rules so that infection levels are reduced from the dangerously high levels today.

“The alternative is not worth thinking about. We all have a responsibility to care for one another and improve our behavior in the broader public interest.”

“It is important that the availability of evidence is improved so that we can continue to track and trace contacts.”

She says she has been critical of the UK and Welsh governments for failing to fulfill their responsibilities to make more evidence available and that she repeated that criticism at the council meeting on Wednesday 16 September.