First Minister Mark Drakeford has unveiled Wales’ roadmap out of the current coronavirus lockdown using a “traffic light system” to ease restrictions.
The steps are part of a “cautious, coherent approach” to easing the extensive restrictions currently in force in Wales with people only allowed to leave their homes for very limited reasons.
The system will see a colour-coded red, amber, and green series of measures in place to ease the restrictions in an approach that will be “guided by the science”.
But the roadmap – entitled Unlocking our society and economy: continuing the conversation – warns: “There is no ‘quick fix’. Until there is a vaccine or effective treatments, we will have to live with Covid-19 and ensure we have measures to limit as far as possible the number of infections and deaths, while allowing our society and economy to function.”
It adds: “Much as we might want it to, ‘normal’ life will not be possible for many months – possibly years.”
The current rules mean people have to stay at home and avoid non-essential travel, maintaining contact only with people they live with, except in very limited circumstances. The roadmap says that any steps taken to ease restrictions "depend on continued widespread compliance".
The document adds: “As we move out of lockdown, we will need to ‘ration’ the amount of social contact we each have, and we also need to recognise that social distancing will be most difficult with those we are emotionally closest to – our parents, children, grandchildren and friends.”
The new traffic light system will apply to the following areas:
- Reopening schools and childcare facilities
- Seeing family and friends
- Getting around
- Playing sport games and relaxing
- Working or running a business
- Going shopping
- Using public services
- Practising faith and special occasions
The system will have four tiers – lockdown, red, amber, and green. In the lockdown stage, as at present, schools can only open for vulnerable students and children of key workers while people are advised to work from home if possible and only make essential journeys.
Under the ‘red’ status schools would take on more vulnerable pupils and other children of key workers while local travel, including for click and collect shopping, would be permitted. This phase would also allow people to “provide or receive care and support to/from one family member or friend from outside the household”.
The ‘amber’ measures would see priority groups of pupils to return to school in a phased approach while travel for leisure would be allowed together with meeting with small groups of family or friends for exercise. Access to non-essential retail and services would also be allowed and more people would be able to travel to workplaces.
At the point ‘green’ status is given all children would be able to return to school and travel would be unrestricted “subject to ongoing precautions”. All sports, leisure, and cultural activities as well as socialising with friends and family would be permitted but physical distancing would still have to be maintained.
Read more about exactly what the document says about things like schools, seeing family, and shopping by going here.
A Welsh Government statement said: “The document makes clear that, given the importance of limiting social contact, decisions will need to be made on prioritisation – and invites views on this. It is quite possible that Wales will be on ‘red’ for one type of activities, ‘amber’ for another, and still in lockdown for a third.”
Decisions will be led by Wales’ chief medical officer Frank Atherton alongside the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and the Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Group.
The situation will also be informed by the experiences of other countries as well as the UK’s new Joint Biosecurity Centre.
The statement added: “To avoid a second, potentially still larger, second peak the Welsh Government is putting in place the infrastructure needed to manage future outbreaks of the disease. This was set out in the ‘Test, Track, Protect’ strategy announced by Welsh Government earlier this week.”
First Minister Mr Drakeford, whose full announcement you can read here, said: “Over the last eight weeks we have seen an incredible effort, from all parts of our society, to respond to the unprecedented challenge to our way of life posed by the Covid-19 virus.
“As a result we, like countries across the world, are able to think about how we can move out of the lockdown. But it is essential as we do so that we recognise this is not a short-term crisis. Until there is a vaccine or effective treatments we will have to live with the disease in our society and to try to control its spread and mitigate its effects.
“The challenges we face are shared with all parts of the United Kingdom. For that reason we have always strongly supported a four-nation approach to the lifting of the lockdown.
“But this has to respect the responsibilities of each government to determine the speed at which it is safe to move and the balance to be struck between different forms of ‘easement’ – how to prioritise between allowing people to meet up with close family, to go shopping or to the hairdresser, to get back to work or visit the seaside.
“With limited ‘headroom’ to ease the current restrictions choices need to be made and we want to make those choices in consultation with our partners and the people of Wales.
“That is why we are publishing this document – not as the final word but as part of the continuing conversation.
“But for the next two weeks, at least, I urge everyone in Wales to stick to the advice – stay home, protect our NHS, and save lives.”
To follow the full announcement from Mr Drakeford along with all the reaction and latest news visit our live blog here.
