It may be a cautious lifting os restrictions, but perhaps we can all look forwards to, and hope for a return to normality over the coming weeks. Hairdressers and barbers will re-open from Monday, four people from two households can meet outdoors socially, and all primary school pupils will head back to school.
Most shops have been closed since before last Christmas and supermarkets are banned from selling clothes, toys, electrical goods and any other items that the Welsh government has deemed non-essential.
Curbs on meeting people outside will be the first to ease, with the public required to “stay local” rather than “stay at home”. From Monday school children aged up to 11, plus older pupils who would normally sit exams, will return to class.
Barbers and hairdressers will also be allowed to reopen for pre-booked appointments on Monday – we are actually moving faster on this than over the border. In England, you won’t be able to get a haircut before mid-April.
“We will make step-by-step changes each week to gradually restore freedoms,” Wales’s First Minister Mark Drakeford said in a statement.
Supermarkets will continue to be banned from selling non-essential items until Monday March 22nd and other shops will reopen on Monday April 12th.
There is a timetable in place for Wales, and these are the key dates to make a note of…..
TOMORROW (Saturday 13th)
- Stay at home will become stay local
- Four people from two households can meet outdoors to socialise, including in gardens
- Outdoor sports facilities such as golf courses, tennis courts, and basketball courts can re-open
- Indoor care home visits will restart for single designated visitors
MONDAY (15th)
- Hairdressers and barbers will re-open for appointments
- All primary school pupils and children in qualifications years in secondary schools (meaning exam years 11 and 13) will return. Schools will have the flexibility to bring year 10 and 12 learners back and more learners will return to colleges. There will also be flexibility for in-school check-ins for all other pupils
MONDAY 22nd MARCH
- Non-essential retail will start re-opening gradually as restrictions are lifted on what can be sold in shops which are currently open
- Garden centres will be able to open
SATURDAY 27th MARCH
- The ‘stay local’ message will go and people will be allowed to travel anywhere in Wales
- Self-contained holiday accommodation will be allowed to open in time for the Easter holidays
FRIDAY 2nd APRIL
- Next three-week review will be announced
MONDAY 12th APRIL
- All learners will return to school after the Easter break
- All shops, including all close contact services, will be able to open
MID-APRIL
- The Welsh Government will consider opening outdoor hospitality areas and certain gyms
- More household mixing may be allowed.
There will be a further easing of travel rules in time for Easter, with self-contained holiday accommodation to be reopened from March 27.
But a Welsh holiday will be restricted to those living in Wales, with lockdown rules in England preventing people from travelling over the border.
Whenever you leave home, you should try to minimise time spent outside of the home, and ensure you stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you don’t live with or are in a permitted support bubble with.
For full details on Level 4 and what is allowed or not, go HERE.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have now approved the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The NHS know they have a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine which can be used in Wales.
Understandably, there are still a lot of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
You can find answers to most frequently asked questions below. This page will be updated regularly as and when new information is available.
NHS Statement: Friday 12th March 2021
Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:
“Welsh Government has announced a phased approach to easing lockdown, starting with moving to a stay local requirement.
“From tomorrow, four people from two households can meet outdoors and outdoor sports facilities can open.
“Indoor care home visits, by one designated visitor for each resident, can restart from tomorrow. Individual care homes will be able to provide information on how these visits can be facilitated.
“On Monday 15 March, all primary school pupils and students in years 11 and 13 will return to school, and schools also have the flexibility to bring back years 10 and 12.
“In addition, hairdressers and barbers can open from Monday for haircuts by appointment only.
“The weekly incidence of COVID-19 infections is now below 50 cases per 100,000 population in more than half of the local authorities in Wales, with the overall rate at 41.1 cases per 100,000.
“This does vary between local authority areas and therefore we remind the public that Level 4 restrictions are still in place. You should stay at home, work from home if you can, wear a face covering where required, wash your hands regularly and stay two metres from anyone you do not live with.
“Coronavirus cases by variant in Wales are reported on the UK Government website. The dominant strain in Wales is the Kent variant, and there is currently no evidence of widespread community transmission of other Variants of Concern in Wales.
“The Welsh Government has announced that the revised vaccine strategy will mean that every eligible adult in Wales will be offered a first dose by the end of July. In addition, adults with severe or profound learning disabilities, and those with any mental illness that causes severe functional impairment, will be invited for vaccination as part of the JCVI priority group six, and the Welsh Government has published guidance on identifying eligible individuals in these groups and how to support them to take up their vaccine offers.
“The Welsh Government also announced an expansion of workplace and community testing, with workplaces with more than 50 employees now eligible for support to regularly test their workforce, helping to reduce the spread of the virus and allowing them to operate safely.
“We need your continued support to control the spread of Coronavirus, so please do not send your child to school if they are unwell, even if you are not sure if they have Coronavirus. Please continue to work from home if at all possible.
“When you take your child to school, always keep your distance from other parents, wear a face covering, and don’t stay around and chat. Please don’t invite other children or their parents to your home to play or stay, even outdoors, and even if they are in the same bubble at school.
“Make sure your child understands the importance of washing their hands regularly.
“Restrictions on UK and international travel remain in place. More information on current travel guidance is available on the Welsh Government website.
“If you or a member of your household develop a cough, fever or change in sense of taste or smell, you must self-isolate immediately and book a free Coronavirus test, either by calling 119 or by visiting www.gov.wales/getting-tested-coronavirus-covid-19.”
Datganiad: Diweddarwyd 12yh Dydd Gwener 12 Mawrth
Dywedodd Dr Robin Howe, Cyfarwyddwr Digwyddiad ar gyfer yr ymateb i’r achos o’r Coronafeirws Newydd (COVID-19) yn Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru:
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyhoeddi dull graddol o lacio’r cyfyngiadau symud, a fydd yn dechrau trwy symud i ofyniad i aros yn lleol.
“O yfory ymlaen, gall pedwar o bobl o ddwy aelwyd gwrdd yn yr awyr agored a bydd cyfleusterau chwaraeon awyr agored yn gallu ailagor.
“Gall ymweliadau dan do â chartrefi gofal, gan un ymwelydd dynodedig ar gyfer pob preswylydd, ailgychwyn o yfory. Bydd cartrefi gofal unigol yn gallu darparu gwybodaeth ar sut y gellir hwyluso’r ymweliadau hyn.
“Ar ddydd Llun 15 Mawrth, bydd holl ddisgyblion ysgolion cynradd a disgyblion ym mlynyddoedd 11 a 13 yn dychwelyd i’r ysgol, a bydd gan ysgolion yr hyblygrwydd hefyd i ddod â disgyblion blynyddoedd 10 a 12 yn eu holau.
“Yn ogystal, gall siopau trin gwallt a siopau barbwr agor o ddydd Llun i dorri gwallt drwy apwyntiad yn unig.
“Mae nifer yr achosion wythnosol o heintiau COVID-19 bellach yn is na 50 achos i bob 100,000 o’r boblogaeth mewn mwy na hanner yr awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru, ac mae’r gyfradd gyffredinol yn 41.1 achos i bob 100,000.
“Mae hyn yn amrywio rhwng ardaloedd awdurdodau lleol ac felly rydym yn atgoffa’r cyhoedd bod cyfyngiadau Lefel 4 yn dal i fod ar waith. Dylech chi aros gartref, gweithio gartref os gallwch chi, gwisgo gorchudd wyneb lle bo angen, golchi’ch dwylo’n rheolaidd, ac aros dau fetr oddi wrth unrhyw un nad ydych chi’n byw gyda nhw.
“Adroddir am achosion o’r Coronafeirws fesul amrywiolyn yng Nghymru ar wefan Llywodraeth y DU. Y straen amlycaf yng Nghymru yw amrywiolyn Caint ac, ar hyn o bryd, nid oes tystiolaeth bod Amrywiolynnau sy’n Peri Pryder yn trosglwyddo’n eang yng nghymunedau Cymru.
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyhoeddi y bydd y strategaeth frechu ddiwygiedig yn golygu y bydd pob oedolyn cymwys yng Nghymru yn cael cynnig dos cyntaf erbyn diwedd mis Gorffennaf. Yn ogystal, bydd oedolion ag anableddau dysgu difrifol neu ddwys, a’r rhai ag unrhyw salwch meddwl sy’n achosi nam swyddogaethol difrifol, yn cael eu gwahodd i gael eu brechu fel rhan o grŵp blaenoriaeth chwech y Cyd-bwyllgor ar Imiwneiddio a Brechu, ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyhoeddi canllawiau ar nodi unigolion cymwys yn y grwpiau hyn a sut i’w cefnogi i dderbyn eu cynigion i gael eu brechu.
“Cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru hefyd y bydd yn ehangu profion yn y gweithle ac yn y gymuned. Bydd gweithleoedd gyda mwy na 50 o weithwyr bellach yn gymwys i gael cymorth i brofi eu gweithluoedd yn rheolaidd. Bydd hyn yn helpu i leihau lledaeniad y feirws ac yn caniatáu iddynt weithredu’n ddiogel.
“Mae arnom angen eich cefnogaeth barhaus i reoli lledaeniad y Coronafeirws, felly peidiwch ag anfon eich plentyn i’r ysgol os yw’n sâl, hyd yn oed os nad ydych yn siŵr a oes ganddo’r Coronafeirws. Parhewch i weithio gartref os oes modd o gwbl.
“Pan fyddwch yn mynd â’ch plentyn i’r ysgol, cadwch bellter oddi wrth rieni eraill ar bob adeg, gwisgwch orchudd wyneb a pheidiwch ag aros o gwmpas i siarad. Peidiwch â gwahodd plant eraill na’u rhieni i’ch cartref i chwarae neu i aros, hyd yn oed yn yr awyr agored a hyd yn oed os ydynt yn yr un swigen yn yr ysgol
“Sicrhewch fod eich plentyn yn deall pwysigrwydd golchi dwylo yn rheolaidd.
“Mae cyfyngiadau ar deithio yn y DU ac yn rhyngwladol yn parhau i fod ar waith. Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y canllawiau teithio cyfredol ar gael ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru.
“Os byddwch chi neu aelod o’ch aelwyd yn datblygu peswch, twymyn neu newid i synnwyr blasu neu arogli, rhaid i chi hunanynysu ar unwaith ac archebu prawf Coronafeirws am ddim, naill ai drwy ffonio 119 neu drwy ymweld â https://llyw.cymru/cael-prawf-coronafeirws-covid-19.”