Wales 5

[DdraigGoch]

The old one filled up before we could link a new one but here we are.

I want us all on the same page given that the border is not exact, and a lot of people work and travel regularly between the two countries. I'm fed up of waiting for the Welsh government to react to Westminster's announcements because they seemingly don't want crowds of English people to come over. My family live in Wales but my friends live in England, as do my in laws. There were very few occasions when the Welsh rules were advantageous?

@PuzzledObserver Does your mum have any care needs / is vulnerable? Visits to provide care (which is loosely defined) are allowed.

@ArosGartref

The dialogue hasn't really moved on since this happened last year, has it? People want the English rules when it's of slight benefit to them but take for granted the times where the Welsh rules are advantageous.

There weren't many times when the Welsh rules were advantageous. We have lower case rates than England, having locked down first. Therefore we should open up first.

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages - not really. She had a cardiac procedure last June, and none of us were allowed to travel to be with her. It's given her a new lease of life - walking the dogs twice a day at 85!

We may well unlock before England. If I was living there I wouldn't put much faith in the roadmap happening as planned.

Could be worse, could be Northern Ireland.

I want to know when I can drive see my family In Wales we live just over the border.
I also wonder if may elections may impact what drakeford decides.

@3asAbird

I want to know when I can drive see my family In Wales we live just over the border. I also wonder if may elections may impact what drakeford decides.

Frankly I cannot see May elections taking place.

If we unlock before England that does not mean that english, scots, the world can cross the border.

I think they will take place, and Mark Drakeford has shown that's he not interested in electioneering. We'll probably end up with some weird coalition as a result and then it will be like Northern Ireland.

I don’t see why the election can’t take place , considering America managed to elect a new president during the pandemic 😷

I also would prefer if the whole of the U.K. followed the same rules
We work in the holiday / leisure trade and while Boris has spelt it out simply , Mark has just suggested dates and not made concrete plans

We’ve one wedding group booked in to stay this summer , the wedding has now postponed been twice - the bride has said she’s not changing the date again ! #thirdtimelucky

I agree but it's gone too far now to make decisions as a whole. Our rates are very low now, in comparison to most of England so it makes sense us easing first. My area for example is under 70 per 100,000 and my friend in England lives in an area where it's still 260 per 100,000. The figures are very different at the moment.

Highest number of cases per 100k is now Flintshire at 103.1

We're getting there!

Our county have been breaking their results down into wards and some are regularly seeing 0 cases, but obviously per population of each ward it's probably 0 per 5-10k people. Makes it a bit q more frustrating that no easing has been "mapped" though.

Friends with holiday lettings were inundated with callls after Boris speech. They can only apologise and say no because they have no idea when they open and whether Wales will open up the borders.

My friend who is Welsh conservative (currently county council cabinet member) is very stressed about the may elections.

She says that the Welsh conservative expect to do better off the back of covid/lockdown but they are concerned that if they don't do well enough and get a majority that it could make the situation worse as it would force a labour/plaid coalition and plaid are the bigger driving force behind the ridiculous and very destructive 'covid eradication' policy.

Genuine question, why is covid eradication destructive? Now we’re going into summer and the vaccinations seem to be going well, why is it a bad idea?

Disclaimer - I get mixed up between eradication and elimination. I think one is where you drive it as low as possible and have a shit hot track and trace system?

@AlohaMolly

Genuine question, why is covid eradication destructive? Now we’re going into summer and the vaccinations seem to be going well, why is it a bad idea?

Disclaimer - I get mixed up between eradication and elimination. I think one is where you drive it as low as possible and have a shit hot track and trace system?

It's destructive because lockdown is destructive (economically and to mental health) and it requires locking down harder and for longer.

This winter I've attended multiple suicides (all women, all under 50) so the destruction to mental health is real and happening now.

I have a friend (single mum) who has already been made redundant twice in the last 12 months. I have many many friends who work in the doomed outdoor education sector. The economic destruction is very real.

Also, practically, Boris made an announcement this week that they are definitely not taking a covid eradication approach in England, Wales has a long porous border with England, therefore taking this approach in Wales will only have negative consequences for the Welsh and will NEVER work.

I get that the border is an issue, probably the biggest issue really. It just seems like Wales has already put the hard work in with this never ending bastard lockdown, which feels so much worse than the first one, that surely it’s worth driving numbers as low as possible now before summer and then making track and trace super effective, although I know ours already is.

I know we can never replicate New Zealand because of the border, but we could get close.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware of the hardships of lockdown, but my main fear is having to go back into another this winter. I’d rather have longer in this one and never have to do it again

People would just go to England to shop, dine, holiday etc so we'd end up with far less being spent in Wales, and possibly more cases brought back. It would never work without a hard border between the two countries.

My employer has had more absence due to mental health issues than it has had due to Covid. This is a quasi-public sector employer where no one has lost any income or has any significant risk of redundancy. Imagine what people in hospitality are going through. Elimination is not a practical option.

Bit confused Wales saying over 40s next after vulnerable, does that mean over 60s will be lumped in to this group along with over fifties , not 65 until the autumn so a bit concerned

Over 40s will be after over 50s, probably end of April/may. They mean next after groups 1-9 have been done. They aren't giving priority to certain professions which was a possibility. Just going by age now.

My sister in law, who is 65 will have hers on Monday.( Swansea Bay)

@DdraigGoch

Highest number of cases per 100k is now Flintshire at 103.1

We're getting there!

Put another way that's 0.1%, of which only a tiny amount become serious.

If this stay at home lockdown has resulted in only 1 person in a 100 suffering mental health issues, that's ten times more people.

If only the NHS was fit for purpose and the Police could actually police say a 10 mile travel for exercise. How different our lives would be.

Have the rules in Wales changed? Can I see anyone new this week?

There’s a lot of talk amongst my friends now, of meeting up for ice cream and going for walks...

or driving out of area to go places we haven’t been allowed to, for instance 20 miles drive to get a unique style of doughnut

Etc

All areas under 100 per 100,000 today and less than 200 cases over all. Hoping they loosen the restrictions slightly for Easter hols. I'm happy with outdoor stuff, would love to have a couple of friends over to the garden for my birthday.