Mark Drakeford: 'Positive signs' in Wales following firebreak lockdown

9 November 2020, 14:32 | Updated: 9 November 2020, 15:45

File photo: First Minister Mark Drakeford speaking at a press conference in Cardiff
File photo: First Minister Mark Drakeford speaking at a press conference in Cardiff. Picture: PA

By Megan White

There are "early positive signs" that Wales' firebreak lockdown has curbed the spread of coronavirus in the country, the First Minister has said.

Mark Drakeford said recent high numbers of new cases were beginning to drop as Wales began life under new national measures from Monday.

The end of the 17-day lockdown means groups of up to four people can now meet up in cafes, pubs and restaurants while shops, gyms, hairdressers and places of worship can also reopen.

Read more: Firebreak lockdown meaning and the new Covid rules in Wales revealed

Supermarkets can again sell non-essential items while people will only be allowed to meet up inside homes with members of one other household if they have joined into a "bubble".

Mr Drakeford told Monday's Welsh Government press briefing the all-Wales level had now dropped from 250 cases per 100,000 people to just under 220 cases - and stressed it was "vital" people continued to work from home.

He said: "We won't know the full impact for a couple of weeks yet but there are some tentative early positive signs, and those give us some hope.

"Mobility data shows large increases in people staying at home during the firebreak - back to the levels last seen in May.

"It is vital that working from home as much as possible continues beyond today."

Mr Drakeford said rates in Merthyr Tydfil - which briefly became the worst-hit area of the UK last week with 741 cases per 100,000 people - had now fallen to around 520.

He said: "This is still too high, but an important and encouraging fall."

But the number of people being admitted to hospital was continuing to rise, the Welsh Labour leader said, adding there were now more than 1,400 Covid-related cases in Welsh hospitals, higher than during the April peak of the virus.

Wales wakes up with new coronavirus rules

And he said high numbers of deaths would continue "until we get coronavirus under control".

Wales' new national measures would be reviewed in a fortnight, he said, stressing that the country's exit from the firebreak needed to be "careful and cautious so that we can maximise its impact."

Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government has not "ruled out" taking targeted local action if areas of the country saw a continuing rise in virus cases, saying ministers had access to a "menu of actions that could be taken at a local level if necessary".

"If there are local flare-ups then we will draw on that repertoire, work with local players, local authority leaders, the local public health teams and so on, and then calibrate the local action to the nature of the problem that is being faced," Mr Drakeford said.

Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservatives' shadow health minister, later said he welcomed the news hyperlocal restrictions would be considered.

He said: "Nobody wants to see further lockdowns, but if they are to be imposed again, then they have to be targeted and based on ultra-accurate and localised data, which city-wide testing could provide."

Decisions in Wales cannot be driven by those of other nations

Mr Drakeford said the idea of mass whole-town testing, like what is being trialled in Liverpool, was "attractive" and that Welsh ministers would "look to see ways in which we can learn from that experience and put it to work in Wales".

Addressing scenes of queues of people lining up outside reopened stores in Cardiff city centre, Mr Drakeford said he had been told Monday's return of retail was being "well managed".

"The reports that I've had are that it's being well managed, that these are retail outlets that have made a big effort to make sure that queues are managed, that people coming in and out of shops are properly controlled and that people themselves are doing all the things they can do in observing social distancing and being respectful of other people," Mr Drakeford said.

"Our chief medical officer often says that it's what people do when they get somewhere, rather than the fact that they're going shopping by itself, that is not necessarily a difficulty.

"It's how people behave when they make those choices and provided people are behaving in a way that does not put themselves and others at risk, then I think the fact that people want to do some things today that they've not been able to do for over two weeks wouldn't be that surprising to anyone."

On Monday, Public Health Wales reported a further 931 cases of coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 60,912.

Another eight deaths were also reported, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 2,041.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Disabled people to be given right to try working without risk of losing benefits in welfare reforms.

Disabled people to be given right to try working without risk of losing benefits in welfare reforms

Britain's Prince William, Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), and Kate, the Princess of Wales, Patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), pose for a photo with Leif Thobroe

William and Kate cheered on opposite sides at Wales v England Six Nations match

Wes Streeting MP - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care - in Downing Street 12th March 2025 - the day before NHS England was abolished.

Scrapping NHS England is ‘beginning, not the end’ says Streeting, vowing to cut hundreds of quangos

A view of the pollution caused by garbage and various wastes following the thousands of Palestinians displaced under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel have returned to the northern Gaza Strip in Jabalia, Gaza on March 13, 2025.

US rejects Hamas’s ‘entirely impractical’ demands to implement ceasefire as talks reach impasse

Antoine Dupont and Gregory Alldritt of France lift the Six Nations Trophy after their team's victory during the Guinness Six Nations 2025 match between France and Scotland at Stade de France

France win Six Nations after beating Scotland, shattering England title hopes

The US has launched large strikes in Yemen as Donald Trump promised "overwhelming lethal force" until the Houthis cease attacks on shipping.

US launches strikes on Yemen as Trump promises 'overwhelming lethal force' against Houthis

Rich people are getting married at a way higher rate than those with lower incomes as the ‘marriage gap’ between rich and poor hits a record 51%.

'Only rich people are getting married', new research suggests, as ‘marriage gap’ widens

"I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me," Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, posted on social media.

American influencer apologises after being threatened with deportation for snatching baby wombat from mum

The Forum Chinese Restaurant

Chinese restaurant chef uses CCTV to prove 'nonsense' reviews wrong

Soccer - International Friendly - Venezuela v Nigeria

England star John Fashanu arrested over 'five crimes' as he sues police for £100,000 compensation

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, right, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. (NASA via AP)

'Stranded' NASA astronauts set to return from nine month space mission - but what health issues could they face?

Exclusive
Jordan Stephens, Rizzle Kicks star.

Rizzle Kicks star says children 'rely' on online communities for connection as he says 'boredom' to blame for rising crime

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference in the Downing Street Briefing Room after hosting virtual meeting with international leaders to discuss support for Ukraine.

Military chiefs to meet in UK next week - as Starmer confirms Ukraine peace effort ‘moving into operational phase’

Smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast in England, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Dan Kitwood/Pool Photo via AP)

Russian captain of Solong container ship remanded in custody following crash with US oil tanker

BRITAIN-UKRAINE-DIPLOMACY-POLITICS-DEFENCE

'Coalition of the willing': Starmer hosts Ukraine peace summit as PM urges Putin to 'come to the negotiating table'

Joanne Penney, 40.

Five charged and one arrested after fatal shooting of 'deeply loved' mother