September 21, 2020 - 1178 views
Today's latest update from Public Health Wales reports no new deaths from COVID-19 across the country. However as new cases rapidly increase in many localities, Welsh Government has put four more areas of Wales into local lockdown.
In response to 234 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours and concerns that the virus is spreading rapidly, new measures were announced for Blaenau Gwent, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend in South Wales from 6pm tomorrow.
New rules will include restrictions on movement in and out of each county, bans on meeting people outside the household unit and early closing of hospitality establishments.
However, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has ruled out any national lockdown across Wales for now whilst acknowledging that the situation is very fast moving.
Out of the 234 cases reported in the past day, 32 are in the North. Flintshire continues to experience a higher than average number of new cases with 10 in the county.
There have also been 7 in Anglesey, 6 in Denbighshire, 4 in Gwynedd, 3 in Conwy and 2 in Wrexham.
The Health Minister said: "We have introduced local restrictions in Caerphilly borough and Rhondda Cynon Taf to control a rapid and sharp increase in coronavirus cases in those two areas.
"We have been closely monitoring the developing situation in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport – the rates in these areas are now higher than the Welsh average.
"We been working closely with the local authorities and public health experts, which have been meeting daily to review the position in each area and what measures are needed to control the spread of coronavirus.
"In many of these areas, local actions have already been taken by local authorities, including restricting visits to care homes, encouraging people to work from home wherever possible and asking people to limit journeys on public transport.
"However, as cases have continued to increase, we now need to introduce local restrictions in each of these areas to protect people’s health and control the spread of coronavirus.
"From 6pm on Tuesday September 22, the following local restrictions will come into effect for people living in Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport local authority areas."
"People will not be allowed to enter or leave their local authority areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education. People will only be able to meet outdoors and all licenced premises will have to close at 11pm.
"People will not be able to meet members of their extended household indoors or form an extended household.
"Everyone over 11 must wear face coverings in indoor public places – as is the case throughout Wales.
"We will keep these measures under constant review and they will be formally reviewed in two weeks’ time."
