1. Statement by the First Minister: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 5 August 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:50, 5 August 2020

the lowest possible level of suppression of the virus, and then to sustain that lowest level possible suppression by the actions that we are taking. And I think that is very consistent with what the First Minister of Scotland has set out as her ambition. And, of course, we continue to discuss this and other actions with her, and with the Prime Minister and First Minister of Northern Ireland as well. 

Adam Price quite rightly points, Llywydd, to the challenge of reopening schools after the holiday period. It remains our firm ambition to do that. He will have seen, I'm sure, the Children's Commissioner for England's statement today about the harms that are done to children from not being able to resume their education—social harms as well as harms to their education. We will continue to follow the evidence over the rest of this month, and as I said in my opening statement, if we have further headroom in Wales when we get to 21 August, for the three weeks beyond that then the reopening of schools safely and successfully will be our very top priority for any room for manoeuvre that we may have.