Conservatives vote against county-wide lockdowns in Wales, call for ‘hyper-local’ approach

The Welsh Conservatives have said that they will oppose county-wide lockdowns in Wales until the Welsh Government can prove that they are needed.

They called for a ‘hyper-local’ approach such as the lockdown seen in Llanelli where the rest of the county of Carmarthenshire remains outside of the more severe restrictions.

Yesterday the Conservatives voted against the Health Protection Regulations 2020 in the Welsh Parliament, including the lockdowns in Cardiff, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan.

“Politicians, but most importantly the people of Wales, deserve to see the evidence these decisions are based on,” Shadow Health Minister Andrew RT Davies said.

“We will be supporting the Welsh Government’s decision to place smart, hyper-local restrictions to contain the outbreak in Llanelli.

“However, we will be opposing the blanket county lockdown measures in the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea, Torfaen and Neath Port Talbot.

“We do not take this decision lightly. However, on the basis that the Welsh Government chooses not to share any of the data to justify county-wide restrictions, we have no choice. Measures must be proportionate and transparency is crucial for public confidence.

“We — and the Welsh public — want more transparency from Labour ministers on the decision-making process.”

‘Hope’

Wales’ Chief Medical Offier will today provide an update on Covid-19 in Wales. On Monday he warned that people in Wales should “get ready” for rolling lockdowns over the winter months.

Dr Frank Atherton said Wales could be “going in and out of those restrictions over the next few months”.

Latest figures now show rising rates in the west of Wales, which may put them at risk of also facing new restrictions.

Mr Atherton also said it was not “too surprising” to see outbreaks in some university communities.

“I hope that they would be containable in the student population. We don’t want those outbreaks to leak into the general population.”

Yesterday the leader of Ceredigion County Council has said students “enjoying themselves on the beach” led to a spike in Covid cases.

Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn said Ceredigion’s spike in Covid-19 cases was in the student population in Aberystwyth and “has not spread to the community”.

Speaking at today’s Cabinet meeting, Cllr ap Gwynn said there had been 130 cases throughout the pandemic in Ceredigion and that more test results were expected soon.