Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:52 pm on 22 September 2020.
[Inaudible.]—challenge around travel restrictions. We had a long and vigorous discussion, you'll recall, in this Chamber when meeting entirely remotely about the five-mile guidance in respect of local travel. Now, that 'stay local' message was broadly welcomed in lots of places, including in areas of much lower prevalence of coronavirus. There is as much concern about coronavirus not coming into an area that hasn't been largely affected.
What we're doing with our current restrictions is, because we recognise community transmission is taking place within those local authority areas, we're again looking to isolate the virus within that area, to protect areas around it as well. But it goes alongside the crucial message, and in many ways the much more important message, of people needing to looking again at what they're doing to minimise the number of contacts they're having, to understand who they're having in their own home, and to remember the rules around extended households.
It should allow contact with other people, but it should be the same four households with each other, not one household choosing three others, and then one of those three households choosing a different group of people as well. That will lead to a much more significant change in transmission and not provide the protection we're looking for—but also the companionship and contact that we know is a challenge in the areas where we've had to undo those extended household arrangements. So, it's really important that people look again at how to follow the rules and stay within them, because this is actually about keeping us safe and avoiding harm.
I do think, in terms of the travel restrictions, in Caerphilly we're already seeing some evidence that people are following those. There's a reduced number of infections. And in terms of the messaging locally, I think that the council in Caerphilly, and in particular the leader Philippa Marsden, have been very clear about what's required. On the challenges in what's taking place, actually, our local media have been very responsible and very consistent in reporting in an honest way the new restrictions that are in place. That's in all of the hyperlocal media, not just in Caerphilly, but in all of the six areas where we've had to take action.
I think, though, that if we got to a point of wider restrictions, it is of course possible that there would be a message from the Government directly to the population, but that, again, is something to hold in reserve; it's not where we are now, but again, we shouldn't rule out options on the table, because we can't be confident about the path of coronavirus in the future and what we will need to do to keep the people of Wales safe.