Thank you, Llywydd, for the opportunity to update Members today about the latest situation across Wales. The First Minister, myself and the Minister for north Wales have just come from a meeting with local authority leaders, the police, the NHS and public health experts to discuss the rise of coronavirus infections in parts of north Wales. Unfortunately, we are seeing a similar pattern of transmission in coronavirus in Wrexham, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy as we have already seen in parts of south Wales. Rates remain low in Anglesey and Gwynedd at present.

After extensive discussions and taking into account the local incident management teams, it was agreed by everyone in that meeting that urgent action is needed now to control the spread of the virus in north Wales and to protect people’s health. The Welsh Government will, therefore, be introducing local restrictions—the same local restriction measures that are in place in parts of south Wales—in Wrexham, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy from 6.00 p.m. on Thursday 1 October.

Llywydd, over the last few weeks, we have seen a significant rise in the number of new coronavirus cases across Wales overall. Nationally, in those areas that are not within extra local restrictions, we must remember that people are not allowed to meet socially indoors with people that they do not live with and who are not part of their extended household or bubble. If people have formed an extended household, they can meet indoors in a group of up to six people from that extended household at any one time. Under-11s are not included when counting the six, as long as they are part of that extended household. Of course, indoors includes people's homes and hospitality venues. People must not gather outdoors in groups of more than 30; face coverings are mandatory in indoor public spaces and, of course, on public transport, subject to certain exemptions and exceptions; and licensed premises must not sell alcohol after 10.00 p.m. That includes pubs and restaurants as well as off-licences, supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Whilst case numbers continue to rise nationally, we do not have immediate plans for any further national restrictions. We will, of course, act if we feel that further national restrictions are needed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and outweigh the wider harms that such restrictions can cause. Any decisions will continue to be based upon medical and scientific evidence and advice.

We've seen spikes in case numbers across a number of local authority areas and, as a result, a large part of the population of south Wales are now living in areas with local restrictions in place to protect their health and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Areas under local restrictions at present are Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Llanelli, Cardiff, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, the Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen. The local restrictions are the same in each designated area. People are not allowed to enter or leave the area without a reasonable excuse and people are not allowed to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with for the time being. This includes extended households, sometimes called a bubble; they have unfortunately had to be suspended for the time being. All licensed premises have to stop serving alcohol at 10.00 p.m. in line with national restrictions and everyone must work from home wherever possible.

To be clear, a reasonable excuse to leave or enter an area includes going to work where people cannot work from home or using public services that are not available locally. It also includes visiting family or close friends on compassionate grounds if necessary. So, of course, people who have urgent hospital appointments, for example, can leave or enter an area. For those who share parental responsibility, they can continue existing arrangements for access and contact for their child or children, including leaving or entering a local area if needed. Similarly, essential childcare arrangements can continue. That includes where this is provided by, for example, grandparents, although clearly there are increased risks with older people and we recommend that alternative care arrangements are found if possible.

As a minimum, everyone should ensure that they are regularly washing their hands and the wider guidance on managing the virus is followed. Routine visits to care homes in areas under local restrictions have been suspended by those local authorities at the present time. Visits to care homes may still take place within those areas in exceptional circumstances, such as end of life, however this should be discussed with the individual care home before travelling. Children, providing they are well, should continue to go to school. Keeping schools open remains our top priority.

This is not a regional lockdown. We have introduced a series of local restrictions in these local authority areas to respond to a specific rise in cases within each area. All of them have distinct and unique chains of transmission. The local measures have been selected to maximise the impacts on reducing coronavirus transmission and to minimise the wider harm that such restrictions can cause as we know. The measures are designed to supplement and enhance local responses from the local authority, local health boards and the police, and those are already under way.

We will keep these measures under constant review and we'll continue to hold meetings with public health experts, local authority leaders, the NHS, police and police and crime commissioners to assess the latest position in each of these areas. In Caerphilly and Newport, we're seeing real falls in case numbers and we are hopeful that we will be able to take action to relax these restrictions in these areas if those case numbers continue to fall. It is important that everyone follows the rules for where they live. We need everyone's help to bring coronavirus under control. It is only by working together that we will be able to reduce coronavirus infections, the harm that they cause and to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and together, we can keep Wales safe. Thank you, Llywydd.