BREAKING: Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire and Conwy will enter localised lockdown from Thursday

New coronavirus restrictions are being introduced in four local authority areas in North Wales – Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham – following a rise in cases, Health Minister Vaughan Gething today announced.

The new measures will come into force at 6pm on Thursday 1 October, to protect people’s health and control the spread of the virus in the four areas.

The new restrictions will apply to everyone living in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham:

People will not be allowed to enter or leave each of these areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education;
People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households;
The restrictions will be in addition to the rules that apply everywhere in Wales, including:

All licensed premises must stop selling alcohol at 10pm
Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public areas – as is the case across Wales.
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

“Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in four north Wales local authority areas – in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Conwy. These are largely linked to people socialising indoors and are the pattern of transmission similar to what we have seen in South Wales.

“We have worked closely with local authority leaders and the police in North Wales and we all agree about the need to take swift action to control and the spread of the virus.

“Large parts of Wales will now be subject to local restrictions but I want to be clear – this is not a national lockdown. These are a series of local restrictions to respond to rises in cases in individual areas.

“It’s always difficult to make the decision to impose restrictions but we hope that these measures will make a positive difference – just as we have seen in Caerphilly and Newport, where local residents have pulled together and followed the rules.

“It is important we all work together and support each other. This isn’t just about protecting ourselves, it’s about protecting each other.”

The restrictions are being introduced following a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in coronavirus, which have been linked to people meeting indoors, not following social distancing guidelines and returning from summer holidays overseas.

The Welsh Government met with local authorities, health boards and police across North Wales today (29 September) to discuss the situation across the region, and what measures could be taken to prevent the further spread of the virus and how to protect people’s health.

The local restrictions will not be introduced in Anglesey or Gwynedd at this stage, where cases are lower.

The new local restrictions will be kept under regular review. They will be enforced by local authorities and by the police.

Keep Wales safe by:

Always keeping your distance
Washing your hands regularly
Working from home wherever you can
Following any local restrictions
Following the rules about meeting people
Staying at home if you or anyone in your extended household has symptoms.

More to follow

Mark Tami, Labour MP for Alyn & Deeside, has released the following statement:

“I am disappointed that it has been necessary to place Flintshire into a local lockdown. I had
sincerely hoped that this would not happen and I know that this will be a significant blow to families
and small businesses in our area.

“The number of cases in Flintshire has been increasing quickly in the last fortnight which has been a
cause of concern. Whilst nobody wants a local lockdown, it’s clear that it’s necessary to save lives in
Alyn & Deeside. This is and must remain our primary aim.

“It is now vital that everyone takes the measures announced by the Welsh Government seriously,
and sticks to both the letter and the spirit of them. We all want to get out of local lockdown as
quickly as possible, and to do that we all need to play our part. The more compliance with the
regulations, the faster the case numbers come down, and the quicker this ends.

“I will be speaking to the health board, the Welsh Government and the UK Government to ensure
that people needing healthcare are able to access it without delay, that there is support for local
businesses affected by this change, and that clear guidance is available to people who have been
shielding”

Full Welsh Government Statement:

New coronavirus restrictions are being introduced in four local authority areas in North Wales – Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham – following a rise in cases, Health Minister Vaughan Gething today announced.

The new measures will come into force at 6pm on Thursday 1 October, to protect people’s health and control the spread of the virus in the four areas.

The new restrictions will apply to everyone living in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham:

People will not be allowed to enter or leave each of these areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education;
People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households;
The restrictions will be in addition to the rules that apply everywhere in Wales, including:

All licensed premises must stop selling alcohol at 10pm
Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public areas – as is the case across Wales.
Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

“Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in four north Wales local authority areas – in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Conwy. These are largely linked to people socialising indoors and are the pattern of transmission similar to what we have seen in South Wales.

“We have worked closely with local authority leaders and the police in North Wales and we all agree about the need to take swift action to control and the spread of the virus.

“Large parts of Wales will now be subject to local restrictions but I want to be clear – this is not a national lockdown. These are a series of local restrictions to respond to rises in cases in individual areas.

“It’s always difficult to make the decision to impose restrictions but we hope that these measures will make a positive difference – just as we have seen in Caerphilly and Newport, where local residents have pulled together and followed the rules.

“It is important we all work together and support each other. This isn’t just about protecting ourselves, it’s about protecting each other.”

The restrictions are being introduced following a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in coronavirus, which have been linked to people meeting indoors, not following social distancing guidelines and returning from summer holidays overseas.

The Welsh Government met with local authorities, health boards and police across North Wales today (29 September) to discuss the situation across the region, and what measures could be taken to prevent the further spread of the virus and how to protect people’s health.

The local restrictions will not be introduced in Anglesey or Gwynedd at this stage, where cases are lower.

The new local restrictions will be kept under regular review. They will be enforced by local authorities and by the police.

Keep Wales safe by:

Always keeping your distance
Washing your hands regularly
Working from home wherever you can
Following any local restrictions
Following the rules about meeting people
Staying at home if you or anyone in your extended household has symptoms.