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Coronavirus: Rhondda Cynon Taff to go into lockdown | Coronavirus: Rhondda Cynon Taff to go into lockdown |
(32 minutes later) | |
A second county in Wales will go into lockdown because of the rate of coronavirus cases. | A second county in Wales will go into lockdown because of the rate of coronavirus cases. |
The 240,000 people living in Rhondda Cynon Taff will have restrictions imposed on their daily lives. | The 240,000 people living in Rhondda Cynon Taff will have restrictions imposed on their daily lives. |
From 18:00 BST on Thursday, people will not be able to enter or leave the area without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education. | From 18:00 BST on Thursday, people will not be able to enter or leave the area without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education. |
All licensed pubs, bars and restaurants will have to shut at 23:00 every day, once the lockdown comes into effect. | All licensed pubs, bars and restaurants will have to shut at 23:00 every day, once the lockdown comes into effect. |
Rules allowing people to meet others from their extended households indoors will be suspended in the county. | Rules allowing people to meet others from their extended households indoors will be suspended in the county. |
Health Minister Vaughan Gething said there had been a "rapid" rise in cases, with 82.1 infections per 100,000 people over the past seven days. | Health Minister Vaughan Gething said there had been a "rapid" rise in cases, with 82.1 infections per 100,000 people over the past seven days. |
The latest equivalent figure across the whole of Wales is 21.4 per 100,000. | The latest equivalent figure across the whole of Wales is 21.4 per 100,000. |
It is the second local lockdown in Wales, after Caerphilly was subject to restrictions last week. | It is the second local lockdown in Wales, after Caerphilly was subject to restrictions last week. |
Wednesday's rate of positive tests for the past week in RCT was 5.1% - the highest in Wales. Mr Gething previously warned a positive rate of 4% across Wales would trigger a national lockdown. The Wales average is 2.4%. | |
Figures on Wednesday showed RCT's case rate had almost caught up with Caerphilly, which had 83.4 per 100,000 people over the past seven days. | |
The lockdown restrictions have been imposed despite people in RCT having been asked to take extra precautions last week. | |
Contact tracing teams have been able to trace about half of the coronavirus cases in RCT "back to a series of clusters within the borough", Mr Gething told a press conference. | |
"The rest are evidence of community transmission." | "The rest are evidence of community transmission." |
One cluster is associated with a rugby club and a pub in the lower Rhondda valley, another is connected to a club outing to the Doncaster races, which Mr Gething said stopped off at a series of pubs on the way. | |
A review into the lockdown will be held in two weeks' time. | A review into the lockdown will be held in two weeks' time. |
Under the lockdown rules, no one will be able to leave or enter the county without a reasonable excuse. | Under the lockdown rules, no one will be able to leave or enter the county without a reasonable excuse. |
The list of excuses to travel is the same as in Caerphilly, including: | |
Motorists will be able to drive through the county borough, providing they do not stop. | Motorists will be able to drive through the county borough, providing they do not stop. |
The rules can be enforced by a system of fixed penalty notices, which start at £60 to a maximum of £1,920, or unlimited fines in the courts. | The rules can be enforced by a system of fixed penalty notices, which start at £60 to a maximum of £1,920, or unlimited fines in the courts. |
Rules allowing people to meet six people from their extended household in Wales will also not apply in RCT. | |
Mr Gething said residents will be able to meet outdoors "for the time being". | Mr Gething said residents will be able to meet outdoors "for the time being". |
Rhondda Labour MP Chris Bryant said: "Now we need to stick to the rules and get the transmission rate down to protect the NHS and the most vulnerable." | |
Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru Rhondda Member of the Senedd (MS), said it was "disappointing, but not a surprise". | |
"The sooner we get this under control, the sooner we can ease restrictions and the safer our loved ones will be," she added. | |
Pubs to shut at night, but not to close altogether | |
The difference in rules around pubs in RCT and Caerphilly prompted questions from the Welsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies. | The difference in rules around pubs in RCT and Caerphilly prompted questions from the Welsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies. |
"The health minister must explain the rationale behind this and give guidance across Wales to prevent other lockdowns." | "The health minister must explain the rationale behind this and give guidance across Wales to prevent other lockdowns." |
Mr Gething said pubs were a "factor in transmission" in RCT, but had not been in Caerphilly. | |
He said a series of bars and pubs have faced closures and improvement notices in the area. | He said a series of bars and pubs have faced closures and improvement notices in the area. |
A bar has been shut in Pontypridd after a series of breaches were captured on CCTV, a licensed premise was closed in Tonypandy and improvement notices for another bar in Pontypridd and a barbers in Tonypandy were also issued. | |
A further 50 licensed premises were visited by council officers over the weekend, Mr Gething said. | A further 50 licensed premises were visited by council officers over the weekend, Mr Gething said. |
Asked why he was not closing all pubs, Mr Gething said: "If there are no opportunities to drink in licenced premises we may see more people breaking the rules and drinking in each other's homes." |