Yahoo News Wales further eases lockdown as first minister criticises Boris Johnson
Families and friends have been reunited and trips to the beach and the hills were back on as further lockdown restrictions were lifted across Wales.
From Monday, two households were allowed to meet together indoors and stay together overnight, which clears the way for families that have been separated from months to be together.
The country’s “stay local” rule was also lifted, meaning people can travel to places that have been out of bounds for them since the lockdown was imposed. Outdoor attractions such as activity centres were also given the go-ahead to reopen.
Speaking at his daily press conference, the Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, said the lockdown restrictions in Wales were being lifted in a “careful, step-by-step way”.
Drakeford said the cautious approach made it easier in Wales to track the effect of lifting particular restrictions.
He revealed that at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, 45% of all tests processed by NHS laboratories in Wales were coming back positive. By the end of June this had fallen to 3.5%.
The first minister emphasised that the 2-metre social distancing rule still applied in Wales. He asked people to continue to work from home wherever possible and, despite the lifting of the stay local rule, said unnecessary travel should still be avoided.
Drakeford asked people to behave responsibly when visiting tourist spots. “Act respectfully, plan ahead, think about what you are doing and the impact on local communities,” he said.
The Welsh government’s policy has been to make one major change to lockdown every week. Last week, pupils returned to schools; the week before, non-essential shops reopened.
From Saturday (11 July), self-contained holiday accommodation is due to open – as long as conditions still allow it.
From next Monday (13 July), the outdoors spaces of pubs, bars and cafes will be allowed to reopen and people will be able to visit the hairdresser by appointment, again as long as conditions do not change for the worse.
Drakeford said he hoped to be able to give further details later this week when a wide range of places ranging from swimming pools, beauty salons and nail salons might be able to reopen.
The first minister drew attention to his lack of contact with the prime minister, Boris Johnson. The pair have not spoken since 28 May.
He said when Johnson became prime minister he had given himself the title “minister for the union”. Drakeford said: “If you are minister for the union, speaking to the component parts of the union seems to me a sensible way of discharging those responsibilities.”
The Brecon Beacons national park said it looked forward to proving a “warm Welsh welcome”. But a spokesperson added: “Please remember that if it feels too crowded it is too crowded and have a ‘plan B’ ready for your visit.”
