Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion before us. The regulations before us today provide that passenger planes and ships travelling directly from Denmark, and accompanied freight, will no longer be able to land or dock at Welsh ports. They came into force on Saturday 14 November. The regulations follow the urgent action that had been taken across the UK by all four Governments following reports from health authorities in Denmark that outbreaks of a new variant of COVID had been found in mink farms, with some human transmission events.

Previous amendments to the travel restrictions introduced restrictions on Denmark. From 7 November, anyone arriving in the UK from Denmark overnight was required to isolate for 14 days. This applied to individuals and their households too. This coincided with the UK Government's implementation of immigration powers. That means that all non-British national or resident travellers who have been in, or transited through, Denmark in the last 14 days have been denied entry into the UK. These were precautionary measures based on early evidence from health authorities in Denmark. By taking action, we aim to prevent risk to Wales and the UK from this new strain of COVID. Public Health Wales has been contacting Welsh residents who have been in Denmark, to explain that we will require them and their households to isolate as an extra precautionary measure.

Clearly, the situation in Denmark remains an evolving situation that we will continue to closely monitor, and, of course, we'll work with other Governments within the UK and Europe as we do so. The Senedd has not previously debated amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020, which are usually made under the negative procedure. Because these regulations amend both the international travel restrictions and the separate and more general Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020, they are, in this instance, subject to the affirmative procedure.

There have been encouraging signs that the firebreak in Wales has worked, leading to a sharp fall in the numbers of positive cases. This is particularly clear in areas of high incidence such as Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. It has also seen a levelling off and potential fall in hospital admissions. However, the situation in Wales remains very serious. As the First Minister set out last week, following our review of the regulations, it is too early to ease any of the restrictions. This is in keeping with the careful and gradual approach that we have always taken. It is worth reflecting, when doing so, on the recent rises in new positive cases over the last few days. The regulations here in Wales following the firebreak are designed to be clear, stable and simple to understand. We are therefore not making substantial changes at this time.

As we approach the December festive period, families and loved ones will naturally wish to be together. Members will be aware that the Welsh Government is engaging with other UK administrations to seek a joined-up approach to planning for the festive period. The First Minister is meeting this afternoon, if not as we speak, as part of a COBRA meeting to discuss what might be possible across all four nations over the Christmas period. And obviously I can't pre-empt the outcome of those conversations. 

As I set out in the Welsh Government conference yesterday, adopting a common approach across the UK may unfortunately still require some tightening of restrictions in Wales in the weeks leading up to the festive period. This might be the only way we can achieve the headroom necessary to provide for the extra freedoms that many of us hope to enjoy over a limited festive period. I should stress that no decision on any new restrictions has yet been made. The law in Wales requires that the restrictions must be reviewed again by 3 December. As part of that review, I expect us to consider whether additional requirements in Wales are necessary, and this will include the new tier arrangements in England and Scotland, as, indeed, raised during First Minister's questions by the leader of the opposition earlier today.

I'm sure that, like me, Members will be encouraged by the positive news on the development of vaccines, with the further news yesterday of the Oxford vaccine. I would, though, again remind everyone that a vaccine is not a magic bullet. Coronavirus is still with us. It is still highly infectious, and still likely to cause major harm in the months ahead, including, I'm afraid, a further loss of life. The restrictions are sadly still very necessary. We are months away from the realistic prospect of population coverage with a combination of vaccines. We all need to think about what we should do to take care of ourselves and each other. Once again, though, I would like to express my thanks to people in every part of Wales for their continued efforts, at some cost to all of us, to help keep Wales safe. I ask Members to support the motion before us.