Tories call on Drakeford to move Wales to Alert Level 1

The Tories have called on Mark Drakeford to move Wales to Alert Level 1, ahead of a review of Covid-19 restrictions.

Welsh Conservative Health spokesperson Russell George MS, says it’s possible to loosen restrictions, despite rising cases of the Delta variant being a “concern”.

He argues that the vaccine rollout is “reducing the impact of the variant”, as Welsh ministers make a final decision on changes to the Covid restrictions today before an announcement on Friday.

The First Minister said he had hoped to move all of Wales into Alert Level 1, but the rising number of the new variant means that decision is now in the balance.

Alert Level 1 would allow six people from three different households allowed to meet indoors. The limit on the number of people at events outdoors would rise from 50 to 100, while the indoors limit would go up from 30 to 50.

Russell George said: “The clusters of the Delta variant around Wales are of concern, but the Welsh Government needs to be proactive in identifying cases and controlling the spread.

“What is encouraging is that the vaccines secured by the UK Government are protecting people, with the vaccines reducing the impact of the variant with more people reporting mild symptoms with fewer people being admitted to hospital.

“That is why the Welsh Government can continue to move Wales out of lockdown taking us into Alert Level 1 next week.

“Over the last 15 months we have been in and out of lockdown to protect the NHS by reducing the number of hospital admissions.

“Whilst being led by the Science and the data and with the vaccines doing their job in the fight against Covid, there is scope to carry on down the path of opening up in a cautious and sensible manner and I urge the Welsh Government to do so.”

‘Confirmed cases’ 

Confirmed cases of the Delta variant have risen to almost 100 across the country.

Thirty nine case of what was formerly known as the ‘Indian’ variant have been discovered in Wales in the last week.

Fifty-three of the 97 cases of the variant, believed to be more transmissible, have been found in Conwy, with most of the rest believed to be in the south of the country.

New Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the situation was “very serious” and that the Welsh Government needed to “nip it in the bud”.

She added that the spread of the variant “will play into how we assess the situation on Friday”.

“The last thing we want to see is this spreading across the whole of Wales,” she said.