Communities urged to abide by new lockdown measures

Swansea Council is urging city residents and businesses to abide by new lockdown rules which came into force across the city from 6pm on Sunday.

New measures mean people cannot enter or leave the City and County area without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education, for the next fortnight. The changes will be reviewed weekly after that.

Licensed premises will have to stop serving alcohol from 10pm and, except for some limited exemptions, everyone aged over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor places, which are open to the public, such as shops, as well as on public transport.

Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said there was good compliance with the changes in the countdown period which gave residents and businesses 48 hours to adjust.

Cllr Stewart said: “We need the help of everyone across Swansea to prevent the increasing and onward spread of coronavirus. We need to bring the infection rates back down so that we can remove some of the restriction being put in place. It’s in all our interests to do that.

“If we can bring coronavirus under control then there is more chance of us returning to a more normal way of life sooner rather than later.”

He added: “Everyone must follow the new rules. They will be backed up by enforcement measures by the council and the police.

He said the local lockdown was introduced in response to a rapid and sharp increase in the number of Covid cases in Swansea during the past week.

South Wales Police, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Public Health Wales, University of Wales Trinity St David and Swansea University are all backing the new restrictions announced by the Welsh Government on Friday.

There are already a number of Wales-wide measures in place, but the new measures relating to Swansea are:

• People will not be allowed to enter or leave Swansea 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 (sometimes known as ‘bubbles’). This means meeting indoors (in people’s houses, in a pub or elsewhere) with anyone you don’t live with is not allowed at the moment unless you have a good reason, such as providing care to a vulnerable person.
• All licensed premises have to stop serving alcohol at 10pm.
• Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor places, which are open to the public, such as shops, as well as on public transport – as is the case in the rest of Wales. (There are some limited exemptions for people with disabilities and medical conditions – these are the same as for public transport).

The restrictions will be kept under regular review but if cases do not fall, the Welsh Government, working with the council and Public Health Wales, will consider further steps.

Cllr Stewart said: “Coronavirus has not gone away. It is still circulating in communities across Wales. Its vital people stick to the rules. They are there to protect you, your family and loved ones, and everyone in our community.”

The new restrictions cover the whole of the city and county area from Gower and Gorseinon in the west to St Thomas and Townhill in east. A full set of FAQs can be found here: https://www.swansea.gov.uk/localrestrictions