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Wales will enter a new fire lockdown at 6pm on Friday, October 23, which once again requires everyone to stay home, save for certain reasons, and the closure of all non-essential businesses.
Mark Drakeford said earlier this week that the way the virus was spreading in Wales meant that a lack of action would mean that the NHS will not be able to care for the growing number of people who will become seriously ill in the coming weeks.
He said if this were to happen, “even more extreme measures” would be needed to control the virus, with the country facing an indefinite national shutdown, like the one we had in March.
These rules go into effect today. Last night, there was a party atmosphere in the streets of Cardiff as people had one last night of partying; photos, including a crowd of people singing together outside of Greggs, can be seen here.
We have selected only a certain number of the main rules in effect in Wales as of 6pm on Friday 23rd October. But we’ve covered the rules in much more detail here, including more details about work, education, playgrounds, and much more.
The key points to break the fire and the rules that you must now follow
- The closure will last two weeks, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 23. It will include mid-term vacation and will span two weeks, ending Monday, November 9.
- Between these dates, all Welsh residents will need to stay home, except for certain reasons, which are detailed below.
- This means working from home whenever possible. The only exceptions will be critical workers and jobs where working from home just isn’t possible.
- Meetings with people you do not live with either indoors or outdoors are not allowed during the two week period. There will be an exception for adults living alone and single parents who may join another household for support.
- All non-essential retail, leisure, hotel and tourism businesses will close. This is the same as during the close of March. On Thursday night, it emerged that supermarkets would only be told to sell “essential” products, suggesting that they may not be able to sell clothing and other products; you can read that story here.
- Community centers, libraries and recycling centers will be closed. Places of worship will be closed for normal services, except for funerals or wedding ceremonies.
- Elementary and special schools will reopen normally after midterm.
- High schools will reopen after the semester for boys in years seven and eight. Students may come to take the exams, but other students will continue to learn from home for another week.
- Universities will continue to offer a combination of in-person and online learning. Students cannot go home during reading weeks and must stay home in their university accommodation.
When can I leave the house?
You should only be away from home for very limited reasons, including:
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Get supplies and services for you or your home, for example, food, medicine, and basic household support. People are encouraged to take these trips as little as possible.
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Exercise, alone or with members of your household. People are encouraged to do this locally.
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Access child care and education.
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Access medical services or other public services.
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Deposit and withdraw money from a bank or similar establishment.
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Provide care or help to a vulnerable person; this includes getting food or medicine for them
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Helping the NHS by donating blood
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For work, volunteer or charitable purposes, but only when it is not reasonably feasible to do so from home.
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Visit a cemetery, graveyard, or keepsake garden to pay your respects
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Attend a wedding, civil society, or funeral if invited
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Go to court or meet other legal obligations
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Escaping a risk of illness or injury, such as for victims or people at risk of domestic abuse
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Access services provided to victims of crime or domestic abuse or those at imminent risk of becoming victims
Whenever you leave the house, you are advised to try to minimize the time you spend outside the house and to stay at least two meters away from anyone you do not live with or are in a “bubble” with. allowed.
Can I reunite with another household?
For most households, the answer will be no, you should not meet with anyone you do not live with except in very limited circumstances, such as providing or receiving care (see answer below about caregiving responsibilities).
But if you are an adult living alone or you are a single parent household, you can form a temporary extended household with another household. This will allow you to spend time with the people in that household as if you were living with them. You do not have to live in the same area as the local authority.
Can friends or relatives from another home come into my house?
No, see the previous answer.
Are the rules about who I can meet different indoors and outdoors?
No. The purpose of this brief lockdown is to reduce all physical contact between households to an absolute minimum.
Can I start an extended family (or a bubble)?
No, you cannot start an extended family. The only exception to this is if you are an adult living alone or are a single parent household, in which case you may be in a temporary extended household with another household.
Can I leave the house to exercise?
Yes. Exercise is important for physical and mental health, and you can leave home as often as you like to exercise as long as you do it from home and alone or with members of your household (and / or a caregiver).
What type of exercise is allowed?
There are no legal limits to this, but in practice it is limited by other restrictions that have been imposed, such as the closure of leisure centers, gyms and swimming pools. As one of the purposes of the restrictions is to reduce pressure on the Wales NHS, we also ask people to avoid activities that involve a significant degree of risk (for example, swimming or other exercise in the sea, lakes, rivers or other waterways). .
What will happen after Monday, November 9?
Following the end of the firewall, a new set of national standards is expected to be introduced, covering how people can come together and how the public sector and businesses function.
The Welsh government has yet to release details of these.
My area is currently subject to local restrictions, do these continue as well?
No, the breaker lockout will apply the same across Wales.
What does the Government of Wales mean by a “firewall lockdown”?
It is described as a short, sharp “circuit breaker” or “firewall” that aims to help regain control of the coronavirus. This means that a series of restrictive measures will be implemented from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23 until the beginning of Monday, November 9.
Why is this done?
The Government of Wales has said that a fifteen-day action is needed to save lives and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.
Coronavirus cases have risen sharply in Wales as the virus has woken up for winter. While national and local measures in place across Wales have helped keep that spread under control, there is a feeling that further action is now needed.
Between October 10-16, Public Health Wales registered 3,870 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, based on positive test results, but the actual level of infections will be much higher. The number of people admitted to the hospital with coronavirus symptoms is increasing daily and, sadly, so is the number of people dying from coronavirus.
The R number, which describes the infection rate, is 1.4, which means that each person with the virus is infecting 1.4 more on average. The seven-day continuous incidence rate for Wales stands at over 120 cases per 100,000 population.
How many cases are there near you? Find out with your zip code:
Mark Drakeford said: “To be successful, we need everyone’s help. Here in Wales, this is the time to come together, to play our part in a common effort to once again protect the NHS and save lives.”
“If we can do this, our health service will be able to serve people with coronavirus and all those who need emergency treatment, in addition to providing more routine care this winter.” And, most importantly, it will save lives. ”
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