THE four UK nations have rejected the opportunity to reconsider the five days of relaxed coronavirus measures over Christmas, first minister Mark Drakeford has said.
Mr Drakeford said leaders decided not to revisit the rule to allow three households to mix with each other across the UK between December 23 and 27 because “many people will have made plans”.
The Welsh Labour leader told a press briefing on Friday: “I met with Michael Gove as the minister in charge of the Cabinet Office, with the first minister of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland on Wednesday of this week.
MORE NEWS:
- Newport, Pontypool and Cwmbran drink or drug drivers named in court
- ‘Arrogant’ Abergavenny drug dealer jailed
- New day surgery unit to bring 50 jobs to Newport hospital
“The question was raised, should we revisit the decision we had made in relation to Christmas?
“The decision was that we shouldn’t do so – many people will have made plans on the basis of what was announced – but that we would reinforce the message, each one of us would reinforce the message, that that extra freedom for those five days must be used responsibly.”
Mr Drakeford said people “must think ahead, plan ahead, reduce the risk” and avoid doing anything that places people within an extended household at greater risk of spreading the virus.
Mr Drakeford said he would still be meeting up with members of his extended household when asked whether his plans had changed due to the steep rise in Covid-19 cases across Wales.
On Wednesday the country’s chief medical officer said he had decided against visiting family in England and Ireland to instead spend Christmas with his own household only, and urged the public to rethink their own plans to mix with others.
Mr Drakeford said: “I won’t be leaving Cardiff over Christmas. I won’t be travelling anywhere else. So in that sense I will be doing the same as the chief medical officer.”
Pressed on whether that meant he would be cancelling plans to meet up with friends or family not in the same household, he said: “I have an extended household like everybody else. I will follow the rules like everybody else at Christmas.
“My plans remain. I will be staying in Cardiff, I will be cutting down on the number of people that I see.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here