4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:01 pm on 22 September 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:01, 22 September 2020

On the challenge about when we'll understand the effectiveness of the local restrictions that are already in place, we indicated it will be at least two weeks before we've understood more definitively the pattern. We're seeing cautious evidence, just before the two-week review period in Caerphilly, but we'll need to understand that and then to see a sustained fall. The local restrictions that have been introduced in Scotland, in Northern Ireland and England are still, largely, in place. In Scotland they're seeing a slowdown in growth, but still a growth, in significant parts of the west of Scotland, and, as you know, England have significantly increased—there are about 12 million people, I think, in England who are under a form of local restriction. So, we need to see the evidence of what's happening in each of those areas to understand the pattern of infection in each individual case. When it comes to the evidence about them, as I said, we do have evidence of support for the measures, and a change in behaviour in Caerphilly, in particular when it comes to travel, and I think that's important. We'll see more evidence about a reduction in the number of contacts as we continue to see what happens with the case rate over the coming week.

When it comes to business support, this, again, was an issue that was raised by ourselves, by Scotland and Northern Ireland, in today's COBRA meeting, about the essential need to look again at business support. The furlough scheme has been widely welcomed, and this Government has been clear that it was a positive initiative from the UK Government. Our concern is, as we're moving into a different phase, with more restrictions likely to come in place, not less, through the winter, that not having a successor for business support may lead to businesses making choices about ending employment and making redundancies. There's a broad point there, as well as the challenges, of, if we're introducing local restrictions, or national restrictions, about further business support that's required, and that's a conversation we need to continue having with the UK Government to understand what the Treasury are prepared to do at a UK level to protect jobs and employment.

And when it comes to drinking and socialising in your own home, or in other groups, the challenge is, as we've said, and as we've recognised, people not respecting social distancing in their own home is the largest cause in the spread of coronavirus. If you're going out in a regulated environment, whether it's a gym, a restaurant or a pub, there should be additional restrictions in place on avoiding contact with other people. People, naturally, if they're in each other's homes, with loved ones, will have contact with them, and that's very difficult. And if people aren't following the rules on having an exclusive extended household, then that means we're likely to see more spreading within that household environment. It's what we have seen already in a number of the areas where local restrictions are now in place. So, that's the issue that we need to deal with if we are going to turn back the tide of coronavirus here in Wales.