Organisers confirm Wepre parkrun will return on Saturday as Covid restrictions begin to ease Wales

Wepre parkrun will return on Saturday after the Welsh government confirmed Covid restrictions will begin to ease from Saturday.

The popular 5km run was cancelled following the introduction of new ‘alert level 2’ Covid restrictions in Wales on Boxing Day.

Those restrictions included a ban on outdoor gatherings of 50 people and more.

Parkrun cancelled all events in Wales from January 1.

A ban on fans at elite sport has also seen the Welsh Premier League suspended, Chester FC has been forced to postpone this weekends home fixture against Brackley as the club was told it would be in breach of the Welsh Covid rules.

The latest public health data suggests cases of coronavirus have started to fall back from their very high levels.

More than two-thirds of people aged 12 and over have received a booster or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Mark Drakeford said that as part of a “four stage process, as of tomorrow (Saturday 15 January) the number of people who can take part in an event outdoors will rise from 50 to 500.”

Following the news, Wepre parkrun organisers confirmed the 5km run at Connah’s Quay park will return on Saturday morning.

Posting an update on their Facebook page, a spokesperson for Wepre parkrun said: Just to confirm, parkrun is on tomorrow (Saturday, January 15)

“A huge thanks to the wonderful volunteers who have made it happen.”

Now that many events have returned in the UK, the safety of all parkrunners and the wider community is really important.

We recommend staying familiar with our COVID-19 Framework, which applies to all parkrun events.

👉 https://t.co/7YtoLtGKbb

🌳 #loveparkrun pic.twitter.com/cajZzVAO6H

— parkrun UK (@parkrunUK) January 14, 2022

During a press conference on Friday, Mark Drakford set out the timetable to alert level zero:

From Friday 21 January Wales would move to alert level zero for all outdoor activities. This means there will be no limits on the number of people who can take part in outdoor activities.

-Crowds will be able to return to outdoor sporting events
-Outdoor hospitality would be able to operate without additional reasonable measures.
-The Covid Pass will be required for entry to larger outdoor events.

If the downward trend continues, from Friday 28 January Wales would move to alert level zero for all indoor activities.

-Nightclubs will be able to re-open.
-Working from home would remain important but it would no longer be a legal requirement.
-Businesses, employers and other organisations must undertake a specific coronavirus risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus.
-The Covid Pass will be required for entry to nightclubs, events, cinemas, concert halls and theatres.
-The rule of 6, table service and 2m physical distancing no longer required in hospitality.
-The self-isolation rules for all those who test positive for Covid and the face covering rules for most public indoor places will remain in force after 28 January.

If conditions allow, the alert level two restrictions will be removed in a phased approach.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I want to thank everyone for following the rules we have had in place since Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe while the fast-moving omicron variant has surged through our communities.

“I also want to thank everyone involved in our vaccination programme for the enormous efforts to give almost a third of the population a booster since the start of December – this has been vital in increasing our protection against omicron.

“The actions we have taken together have helped us to weather the omicron storm. The latest data suggests some positive signs that the peak may have passed.

“We can now look more confidently to the future and plan to start gradually removing the alert level two restrictions, starting with the outdoors measures.

“But the pandemic is not over. We will closely monitor the public health situation – this is a fast-moving and volatile variant, which could change suddenly.

“I urge everyone to continue to follow the rules and have your vaccines to keep Wales safe.”

The three-weekly cycle would be re-introduced from 10 February, when the Welsh Government will review all remaining measures at alert level zero.