First Minister Gives Pathway out of Lockdown

Talking on BBC Breakfast this morning, First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford said that “Talks are being held about lifting some lockdown restrictions in Wales by Easter.”

The First Minister was talking about the “pathway to opening society” by the spring as cases in Wales continue to fall, and the vaccination programme hits it’s first target.

People in Wales have been living with Level 4 restrictions since December 20th, and the next review is due to be held next Friday (February 19th).

Mr Drakeford said: “Here in Wales, numbers of people infected with coronavirus continue to go down. If that can be sustained over the weeks to come, then we can see a pathway into the spring in which we will be able to restore freedoms to people that they have had to go without in this second wave.

“But that is a very big if, because there are so many unknowns. There are new variants that are happening in different parts of the world that could make difference here in the United Kingdom.

“But, with vaccination and numbers falling, provided we re-open society carefully and cautiously, and don’t allow the virus to get away from us again, we can see path into the spring that we can see ourselves going back to doing some of the things we are all missing so much.”

He was then asked what he meant by the spring, and said: “We have got Easter at the beginning of April this year, and it is always an important time for our tourism and hospitality industries.

“We have been talking with them about what might be possible around the Easter period. But it is all very much caveated that the current progress that is being made can continue and it is lifted in a careful and cautious way.

“Easter is amongst the dates we are using in our conversations with businesses and people in Wales.”

Source: BBC Breakfast