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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
John Cooper

The areas of Wales that are in lockdown and how long it will last

Nine areas of Wales will be under new lockdown restrictions at 6 pm on Sunday, September 27.

When the Swansea and Cardiff Council districts go into lockdown on Sunday evening, 1.5 million people will be living under a second lockdown, with their movements restricted.

That's almost half of Wales' population unable to leave their area without a "reasonable excuse" to do so.

Llanelli, where coronavirus cases have surged recently, will be the first town-specific lockdown in Wales, with the rest of the Carmarthenshire County Council area not yet subject to restrictions.

From 6 pm on Saturday, September 26, these wards in Llanelli will be in lockdown with fines possible for those breaking the rules in any area.

By Sunday evening, the following nine areas of Wales will be in lockdown (click the links to see a map of the area covered by each lockdown):

  • Rhondda Cynon Taf - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 17
  • Blaenau Gwent  - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 22
  • Merthyr Tydfil - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 22
  • Newport  - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 22
  • Bridgend - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 22
  • Cardiff - Lockdown will begin at 6pm on September 27
  • Swansea - Lockdown will begin at 6pm on September 27
  • Caerphilly - Lockdown came into force at 6pm on September 8
  • Llanelli - Lockdown will begin at 6pm on September 26

During a press conference on Friday, September 25, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said that cases in Caerphilly, the first area to see a second lockdown, had fallen significantly.

The decision to put a certain area in lockdown depends partly on the number of cases per 100,000 population found there over a seven-day period.

There were 63.6 cases per 100,000 people recorded in Swansea over the last seven days, with 46.1 being recorded in Cardiff.

For the whole of Wales, the seven-day infection rate stands at a little under 57 per 100,000 people.

How long will lockdown last?

How long a local lockdown lasts depends on whether "the risk of the spread of coronavirus has reduced", according to guidance from the Welsh Government.

As it stands, after new lockdown restrictions are put they will be reviewed two weeks later to assess the situation.

If the decision is made to extend the lockdown in a certain area longer than the initial two week period, a review will take place on a weekly basis.

Caerphilly, the first area to enter lockdown on September 8 is the only case that has been reviewed by Welsh Government so far.

On Thursday, September 24, the decision was made to extend the lockdown in Caerphilly for a further seven days.

We've looked  at the evidence that the Caerphilly lockdown has worked.

Rhondda Cynon Taf's lockdown will be the next to be up for review on October 1, followed five days later by all other areas except those going into lockdown this weekend - Llanelli, Swansea and Cardiff, which will be reviewed in a fortnight.

Welsh Government decisions about the extensions or winding down of lockdown restrictions will be discussed during their televised coronavirus briefings.  

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