Wales Will be Reopening Ahead of Schedule – Based on Data, Not Dates

Welsh hospitality business will soon be able to reopen – outdoors from April 26th and indoors from May 17th – as Mark Drakeford has accelerated Wales’s reopening schedule. The Telegraph has the story.

Pubs, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality businesses will be allowed to offer outdoor service again from Monday, April 26th, as restrictions are eased further in Wales. 

In addition, from April 24th, six people from six households will be able to meet outdoors, but meeting inside will not be allowed until May 3rd, when two households will be allowed to see each other indoors.

It comes as the reopening of gyms and leisure centres, and outdoor organised activities, has also been brought forward to May 3rd amid a drop in new Covid infections.

Indoor activities for children, indoor organised activities for up to 15 adults, such as exercise classes, and the reopening of community centres were also meant to happen on May 17th, but have been brought forward by two weeks.

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, also said indoor hospitality and all tourism accommodation can reopen from May 17th, subject to confirmation by the party that leads the Welsh Government following the Senedd election.

Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 5 Live that the improving Covid and vaccine situations in Wales meant an acceleration of the country’s exit from lockdown was possible.

The rates of coronavirus in Wales are now the lowest in the United Kingdom, our vaccination rates are the highest in the United Kingdom, and that has created some extra headroom for us to be able to continue what we’ve been doing now for quite a few cycles.

We continue to proceed in Wales in a cautious, step-by-step way. But the fact that we have these low rates is the product of that way of doing things.

It’s because we’ve done it in the way we have that we’re now able to accelerate some of the decisions because the prevalence of coronavirus has fallen to the lowest extent we’ve seen since the summer.

Boris Johnson, on the other hand, remains unconvinced that England’s unlock should be speeded up. Covid cases and hospitalisations continue to fall in England and the successful vaccine rollout means that 95% of the over-50s – that is, those who are most vulnerable to Covid – have been vaccinated. Despite this, ministers have suggested that the current level of lockdown could stay in place beyond May 17th.

The Telegraph’s report is worth reading in full.

Stop Press: Blower’s latest cartoon in the Telegraph demonstrates the foolishness of Boris and co sticking to dates not data.

Subscribe
Notify of

To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

43 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Bill Hickling
Bill Hickling
4 years ago

So why can’t we open indoors then?

SweetBabyCheeses
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Hickling

Gotta keep up the imaginary fear. Plus people talk at the pub, and once they had one taste of fun and realise nobody died because of it then there’d be no going back.

sophie123
4 years ago
Reply to  Bill Hickling

Good question. I am on my way home from a boozy lunch on the 38th floor of a London tower block & I now have hypothermia.

Fucking Johnson & his goons. It’s their fault if I die. And all the other women shaking with cold trying to warm up with Hand dryers in the loos.

sophie123
4 years ago
Reply to  sophie123

PS lunch full of healthcare analysts who spend all their time looking at clinical data, and everybody scared of the AZ jab. Nobody signing up for that shit.

Corky Ringspot
4 years ago
Reply to  sophie123

Utter insanity. When are ‘ordinary’ people going to properly angry?

alw
alw
4 years ago

Still waiting for the judgement re Judicial Review re the opening of indoor hospitality which was due this week.

MikeAustin
4 years ago

Current government figures:
Vaccines 14 deaths per day
Covid-19 18 deaths per day
What’s the problem?

SweetBabyCheeses
4 years ago
Reply to  MikeAustin

Wow that’s pretty scary isn’t it. It seems that any death within 7 days of a vaccine is considered to see whether it was a vaccine death? But all covid deaths within 28d of a “positive test” are automatic counted as covid deaths – plus all the others where it was a contributing factor or flu etc.
So perhaps vaccine deaths are even higher than covid deaths?

mwhite
4 years ago

All of the vaccines have covid 19 RNA strands that are used to produce spike proteins.

PCR tests are used to detect covid 19 RNA.

That’s the way I understand it.

fon
fon
4 years ago
Reply to  mwhite

The vaccine teaches you body to get rid of the virus, hence, if rhe vaccine works, you will not test positive, as soon as the vaccine is in you body, your body sets about destroying it. That is the job of your immune system, so no, the vaccine will not make you test positive for covid19.

sophie123
4 years ago
Reply to  fon

Do you actually know how the test actually works? Which genetic sequences they test for?

ebygum
4 years ago
Reply to  fon

The Computer says No!

Dodderydude
Dodderydude
4 years ago
Reply to  fon

That sounds rather like the explanation I would have been given when, at six years of age, I asked my parents what was the purpose of that ‘jab in the arm’ that I had just had. My expectations of an explanation of the ‘covid’ jab are somewhat more demanding now that I am a grown-up.

Bella Donna
4 years ago
Reply to  fon

Drivel!

Tillysmum
Tillysmum
4 years ago
Reply to  fon

Not you again. Why don’t you stay in bed?

MizakeTheMizan
4 years ago

Dates not data.

Annie
4 years ago

Muzzles, t and t, antisocial distancing, one-way systems, endless Covidian propaganda … can’t wait.

alw
alw
4 years ago

Sacha Lord

@Sacha_Lord
·
10m

Update:

As you know, we were told the Judge would be making a decision, this week, commencing 19th April.

We still haven’t heard anything and now expect it to be early next week.

We firmly believe that Hospitality should be open.

EVERY DAY COUNTS.

We are doing our utmost.

monica coyle
monica coyle
4 years ago
Reply to  alw

The control the government is exerting over us is absolutely terrifying. What right have they got to stop people from running their businesses? They need to be ousted.

Carrie Symonds
4 years ago
Reply to  monica coyle

Blown up I say including the ‘opposition’.

karenovirus
4 years ago

“In addition from April 24th, six people from six households will be able to meet outdoors, but meeting indoors will not be allowed until May 3rd, when two households will be allowed to see each other indoors”.

Does anybody pay the slightest attention to this bollocks unless they think it’s a BBC script from the 1980’s when they still did decent comedy ?

RickH
4 years ago
Reply to  karenovirus

Not sure about ‘any body’ but a few ‘no brain’ will.

Basil Fawlty would probably handle things better.

Annie
4 years ago
Reply to  karenovirus

I can tell you one who doesn’t.

Matt Dalby
Matt Dalby
4 years ago
Reply to  Annie

I live in a small block of flats, and out of the 12 people in the block at least 7 have consistently ignored the rules about indoor meeting since March last year (obviously I haven’t been a conscientious citizen and grassed them up). This may well not be typical of the country as a whole, but taken alongside all the pictures in the media of people out and about/young people partying etc. it makes me think that a significant percentage of the population have always ignored the rules, but haven’t been brave enough to “come out” as lockdown sceptics, and so show virtue by mask wearing and telling pollsters they support lockdown.

ebygum
4 years ago
Reply to  Matt Dalby

In truth I haven’t seen my nearest family as much because they don’t live near me. But throughout I’ve visited my sister, and best friends @80 miles away when I’ve felt the need. I’ve constantly visited my elderly neighbour, because me and Mr Gum didn’t want him to be totally isolated, and he wanted to see us. My dog walking mate I’ve seen throughout also. My sister has continued in a ‘bubble’ with her son, wife and kids, ditto my best friends. But my neighbours, on both sides, have had shopping delivered and barely been out of their houses, and always with a mask!
And guess what? None of us knows anybody who’s had ‘the virus’!

Old Trout
4 years ago
Reply to  karenovirus

I don’t in the slightest but even if I wanted to follow the guidelines, they are so complicated my brain is too old and tired to work them all out!

fon
fon
4 years ago

It’s not based on data, it’s based on a specific date, May 6th, election day.

iane
iane
4 years ago

95% of over-50s have taken the jab??? I am highly dubious of that factoid!

sophie123
4 years ago
Reply to  iane

I dunno. I only know my husband and myself who aren’t. Though I am not 50 yet.

I know some people who have flown abroad to get Pfizer rather than AZ though.

jcd
jcd
4 years ago
Reply to  sophie123

Sadly, I am the only one I know in my age group (over 70s) that has not had a jab, and now, here in Wales, those in their 40s are now being offered it.

Pretty soon I will be the only unvaccinated in the village!

Peter W
Peter W
4 years ago
Reply to  jcd

Oh dear. You are going to kill everyone with your asymptomatic death dealing personage!
Perhaps you should ring a bell and shout “unclean”? ….or perhaps just get on with a normal life!

Melangell
4 years ago
Reply to  jcd

I live in Wales, am over 70 and I will never have the jab; my friend is 71 and likewise. I know quite a few others, age unknown, but definitely grey and wrinkly, who have said the same.

Mike Durrans
Mike Durrans
4 years ago
Reply to  jcd

Join the club Jed, I have even had my walking friends fall out with me when I resisted their quiet talks. non of them believe me when I say the vaccine is not yet approved

I am Spartacas
4 years ago

This is not about public health this is about power – these insane despots are drunk on power – these people are best described as tyrants not politicians.

What is even more dispiriting than these power-crazed wannabe-dictators is that we appear to have a public who seem to be more concerned about the future of their football team and are willing to angrily protest about the creation of a ‘Super League’ than they are the steady erosion of their own personal liberties and freedoms. I support my local football team as much as any other football fan does theirs but I find it incredible that football fans can’t seem to grasp what is at stake here and get their priorities right – how the introduction of a covid passport system could seriously restrict their ability to ever watch their team play at home or abroad again.

Andrea Salford
4 years ago

Nonsense. Who do these idiots think they are? Freedoms they don’t own that they’re giving back to us. F U the F U off

Andrea Salford
4 years ago

Drakeford is an idiot.
We (from NW England) actually holidayed in Wales last week (12-16 April) and to spoil everything the miserable twart moved the pub/restaurant out door dining allowance from 12 April to 26 April. Thereby robbing many businesses from much business.
His day in hell awaits.

Rich
Rich
4 years ago

Here’s an anti-lockdown tune for you all:
https://youtu.be/5jcewTk0pFs

JFJ
JFJ
4 years ago

Love the cartoon….picture worth a thousand words.

Javy
Javy
4 years ago
Reply to  monica coyle

Atrocious ! Anyone know what sparked this all off ?

huxleypiggles
4 years ago
Reply to  monica coyle

Whoever was in charge of this shitshow should be sacked. How to create a crisis out of FA.

On the plus side Plod remains an extremely effective recruiting agent for Lockdown resistance.

Anybody still believe this is about a virus?

chaos
4 years ago

95% of the over-50s have accepted the jab pushed by people who want to see mass depopulation.

If they had said it needs to be inserted up the arse they’d still have taken it.

Bella Donna
4 years ago

I’ve just read a report of the London Rally in the Sun Newspaper. Talk about being a government poodle. Obviously the government are using taxpayers money to buy their ‘allegiance’. Sycophantic drivel!