Schools and Colleges to reopen as firebreak lockdown in Wales ends
As the firebreak ends in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford (@FMWales) today (9 Nov) asked everyone to think about how they can protect their families from the virus.
A new set of national measures will come into force today, replacing the firebreak regime. But people’s actions will be more important in controlling the spread of the virus than rules and regulations in the weeks and months ahead.
The First Minister is urging everyone to reduce the number of people they see and the time they spend with them to help reduce their risk of catching and passing on the virus.
Mark Drakeford said:
“We all need to think about our own lives and what we can all do to keep our families safe. We need to stop thinking about the maximum limit of rules and regulations.
“Coronavirus is a highly infectious virus – it thrives on contact between people. To keep each other safe we need to reduce the number of people we have contact with and the amount of time we spend with them.
“There will be a new set of national measures from today, which will follow up all the hard work and sacrifices which have been made during the firebreak.
“We cannot go back to the way we were living our lives and throw away all that hard work.”
The new national measures include:
- All childcare facilities, schools, further education colleges, work-based learning and adult learning providers can return to the same model of operation as before the firebreak. Universities can continue to provide a combination of in-person teaching and blended learning.
- People will only be able to meet people who are part of their ‘bubble’ in their own home; only two households will be able to form a ‘bubble’. If one person from either household develops symptoms, everyone should immediately self-isolate.
- People will be able to meet in groups of up to four people (not including any children aged under 11) in regulated indoor places, such as hospitality – bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants. No alcohol can be served in any of these venues between 10pm and 6am, and where premises have a licence to sell alcohol they will have to close at 10.20pm.
- As part of keeping our risks to a minimum, people should avoid non-essential travel as much as possible. There will be no legal restrictions on travel within Wales for residents, but people can only travel into and out of Wales with a reasonable excuse.
- Up to 15 people can take part in an organised indoors activity (such as an exercise class – where a responsible body is managing the event) and up to 30 in an organised activity outdoors, providing all social distancing, hand hygiene and other covid safety measures are followed.
In addition:
- Places of worship can resume services.
- All retail businesses can reopen, including close-contact services such as hair dressers/barbers and beauty salons.
- Sport and leisure facilities, including gyms and swimming pools, can reopen, but the operators must take all reasonable measures to manage risk and maintain physical distancing;
- Entertainment venues can reopen. These include cinemas, bowling alleys, skating rinks, museums, galleries, bingo halls, casinos and amusement arcades, but theatres and concert halls, nightclubs and sexual entertainment venues are still required to be closed.
- Local authority services can resume based on local circumstances.
- Home viewings and home moves are allowed.
- Visits to care homes will be permitted, subject to local circumstances.
All premises re-opening will still be required to take all reasonable measures to minimise the risks of spreading the virus. This includes measures to ensure 2m social distancing is observed, as well as other measures, such as restricting numbers, implementing one-way systems or limiting the time people can remain on the premises.
Everyone is also being urged to follow the basics at all times – maintain social distancing; washing their hands often and wearing a face mask indoor public places. People will also be asked to work from home whenever possible.
First Minister Mark Drakeford added:
“Everyone in Wales has an important part to play in helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus – we cannot do this without your help.
“The new national measures are designed to protect people’s health and limit the harm from the virus.
“Government rules and regulations are here to help. But the real strength we have is in the choices we make and the actions we take together.”
People and not rules are at the heart of Wales’ response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said as he sets out the new post-firebreak measures in Wales
The First Minister said everyone in Wales has “an important part to play in helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus – and this means thinking carefully about the contact we all have with other people.
“The more people we meet, the more people are at risk from coronavirus.”
The new national measures are designed to protect people’s health and provide as much freedom as possible while the virus remains in circulation.
Some of the new measures were finalised following the unexpected announcement about a month-long lockdown in England, which started on Thursday (5 Nov).
The new national measures include:
- All schools will reopen;
- The need to maintain two metre social distancing and wear face masks in enclosed public places, including on public transport and taxis, will continue;
- The requirement to work from home whenever possible will remain;
- People should only meet with their ‘bubble’ in their own home and only two households will be able to form a ‘bubble’. If one person from either household develops symptoms, everyone should immediately self-isolate.
- Up to 15 people can take part in an organised indoors activity and up to 30 in an organised activity outdoors, providing all social distancing, hand hygiene and other covid safety measures are followed;
- All premises, such as restaurants, cafes, pubs and gyms, closed during the firebreak, will be able to reopen. Following the announcement about the English lockdown, Ministers are having ongoing discussions with the hospitality sector about the detailed rules for reopening. This includes about meeting in public indoor spaces;
- As part of keeping our risks to a minimum, people should avoid non-essential travel as much as possible. There will be no legal restrictions on travel within Wales for residents, but international travel should be for essential reasons only.
In addition:
- Churches and places of worship will resume services;
- Local authority services will resume but based on local circumstances;
- Community centres will be available for small groups to meet safely indoors in the winter months.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said:
“Each of us has an important part to play in slowing the spread of coronavirus in Wales and saving lives – we cannot do this without your help.
“Everyone has made so many sacrifices this year already. To make sure we do not lose all this hard work, we need to carry on looking after each other and keeping ourselves safe.
“This is a virus which thrives on human contact. Social contact is important to all of us but to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, we need to think carefully about all our meetings and contacts with other people and try and reduce them to reduce our risk of infection.
“Rather than us asking what we can or can’t do, we need to ask ourselves what should we be doing to keep our families safe.
“Government rules and regulations are here to help. But the real strength we have is in the choices we make and the actions we take together.”
Newyddion gan Lywodraeth Cymru
Heddiw, wrth i’r cyfnod atal byr yng Nghymru ddod i ben, mae’r Prif Weinidog Mark Drakeford wedi gofyn i bawb feddwl sut gallan nhw ddiogelu eu teuluoedd rhag y feirws.
Bydd set newydd o fesurau cenedlaethol yn dod i rym heddiw, gan ddisodli rheolau’r cyfnod atal byr. Ond, i reoli lledaeniad y feirws, bydd gweithredoedd pobl yn bwysicach na rheolau a rheoliadau yn yr wythnosau a’r misoedd i ddod.
Mae’r Prif Weinidog yn annog pawb i leihau nifer y bobl maen nhw’n eu gweld a’r amser maen nhw’n ei dreulio gyda nhw. Bydd hyn yn helpu i leihau’r risg o ddal y feirws a’i basio ymlaen.
Dywedodd Mark Drakeford:
“Mae angen inni i gyd ystyried ein bywydau ein hunain a beth allwn ni i gyd ei wneud i ddiogelu ein teuluoedd. Mae angen inni roi’r gorau i feddwl beth yw’r eithaf y gallwn ei wneud o fewn y rheolau a’r rheoliadau.
“Mae’r coronafeirws yn heintus iawn – mae’n ffynnu ar gysylltiad rhwng pobl. I ddiogelu ein gilydd, mae angen inni leihau nifer y bobl yr ydyn ni’n eu gweld a faint o amser yr ydyn ni’n ei dreulio gyda nhw.
“Bydd set newydd o fesurau cenedlaethol ar waith o heddiw ymlaen, a fydd yn adeiladu ar y gwaith caled a’r aberth a wnaed yn ystod y cyfnod atal byr.
“Allwn ni ddim mynd yn ôl at y ffordd yr oedden ni’n byw ein bywydau a gwastraffu’r holl waith caled hwnnw.”
Mae’r mesurau cenedlaethol newydd yn cynnwys y canlynol:
- Ni fydd pobl ond yn gallu cwrdd â phobl sy’n rhan o’u ‘swigen’ yn eu cartref eu hunain; dim ond dwy aelwyd fydd yn gallu ffurfio ‘swigen’. Os bydd un person o’r naill aelwyd neu’r llall yn datblygu symptomau, dylai pawb hunanynysu ar unwaith.
- Bydd modd i bobl gyfarfod mewn grwpiau o hyd at bedwar o bobl (heb gynnwys unrhyw blant o dan 11 oed) mewn lleoedd o dan do sy’n cael eu rheoleiddio, megis lletygarwch – bariau, tafarndai, caffis a bwytai. Ni chaiff y lleoliadau hyn weini alcohol rhwng 10pm a 6am, a phan fo gan leoliad drwydded i werthu alcohol bydd rhaid i’r lleoliad gau am 10.20pm.
- Fel rhan o’r ymdrech i leihau ein risgiau, dylai pobl osgoi teithio nad yw’n hanfodol gymaint â phosibl. Ni fydd cyfyngiadau cyfreithiol ar deithio o fewn Cymru ar gyfer preswylwyr, ond rhaid i bobl fod ag esgus rhesymol i deithio i mewn i Gymru neu i adael Cymru.
- Caiff hyd at 15 o bobl gymryd rhan mewn gweithgaredd o dan do wedi’i drefnu (megis dosbarth ymarfer corf – – lle mae corff cyfrifol yn rheoli’r digwyddiad) a hyd at 30 mewn gweithgaredd awyr agored wedi’i drefnu, cyn belled â bod yr holl fesurau cadw pellter cymdeithasol, hylendid dwylo a mesurau diogelu eraill o ran COVID-19 yn cael eu dilyn.
Yn ogystal:
- Caiff cyfleusterau gofal plant, ysgolion, colegau addysg bellach, dysgu seiliedig ar waith a darparwyr addysg oedolion ddychwelyd at y model gweithredu a oedd ar waith ganddynt cyn y cyfnod atal byr. Caiff prifysgolion barhau i ddarparu cyfuniad o addysgu wyneb yn wyneb a dysgu cyfunol.
- Caiff addoldai ailddechrau eu gwasanaethau.
- Caiff busnesau manwerthu ailagor, gan gynnwys gwasanaethau cysylltiad agos megis salonau trin gwallt, siopau barbwr a salonau harddwch.
- Caiff cyfleusterau chwaraeon a hamdden, gan gynnwys campfeydd a phyllau nofio, ailagor, ond rhaid i’r gweithredwyr gymryd pob mesur rhesymol i reoli risg a chadw pellter cymdeithasol.
- Caiff lleoliadau adloniant ailagor, gan gynnwys sinemâu, alïau bowlio, rinciau sglefrio, amgueddfeydd, orielau, neuaddau bingo, casinos ac arcedau difyrrwch, ond mae’n dal yn ofynnol i theatrau a neuaddau cyngerdd, clybiau nos a lleoliadau adloniant rhywiol fod ar gau.
- Caiff gwasanaethau awdurdodau lleol ailddechrau, ond yn unol ag amgylchiadau lleol.
- Caiff pobl sy’n bwriadu symud tŷ fynd i weld tai a chaiff pobl symud tŷ.
- Caniateir ymweliadau â chartrefi gofal, gan ddibynnu ar amgylchiadau lleol.
Bydd yn dal yn ofynnol i bob safle sy’n ailagor gymryd pob mesur rhesymol i leihau’r risgiau o ledaenu’r feirws. Mae hyn yn cynnwys mesurau i sicrhau y cedwir pellter cymdeithasol o 2m, yn ogystal â mesurau eraill, megis cyfyngu ar niferoedd, gweithredu systemau unffordd neu gyfyngu ar faint o amser y caiff pobl ei dreulio ar y safle.
Mae pawb hefyd yn cael ei annog i wneud yr hanfodion bob amser – cadw pellter cymdeithasol; golchi dwylo’n aml a gwisgo masg wyneb mewn mannau cyhoeddus o dan do. Yn ogystal, gofynnir i bobl weithio gartref pan fo’n bosibl.
Ychwanegodd y Prif Weinidog Mark Drakeford:
“Mae gan bawb yng Nghymru ran bwysig i’w chwarae er mwyn helpu i atal lledaeniad y coronafeirws – allwn ni ddim gwneud hyn heb eich cymorth chi.
“Nod y mesurau cenedlaethol newydd yw diogelu iechyd pobl a lleihau faint o niwed sy’n cael ei achosi gan y feirws.
“Mae rheolau a rheoliadau’r Llywodraeth ar gael i helpu. Ond y gwir gryfder sydd gennym yw ein dewisiadau ni ein hunain a’r camau a gymerwn gyda’n gilydd.”
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