Welsh Government and emergency services sign joint letter urging people to 'stay at home' over bank holiday

Wales
Cardiff
North Wales
South Wales
Thursday 9 April 2020 at 7:44am

Welsh Government and the emergency services have signed a joint letter urging people to stay at home over the Easter weekend.

The letter, signed by the First Minister, Health Minister and the Chief Medical Officer, says lives will be saved by following the rules.

With sunny weather forecast for the bank holiday weekend, the fear is that people will flout the lockdown.

Mark Drakeford confirmed on Wednesday that the strict social distancing measures would continue for longer than the initial three weeks.

Alongside government ministers, the letter is also signed by representatives from the NHS, police and national park authorities.

The letter's key message is for people to "stay home and save lives" and is addressed "to the people of Wales."

Whilst acknowledging how difficult it can be to remain indoors, the letter says that it is vital we all do so "to protect the NHS."

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We know it’s hard and we want to thank you for sticking to the rules. There are some early signs this is having a positive impact but there’s still a long way to go. We know that staying at home for long periods is difficult and families all over Wales are making many sacrifices every day. Most people are doing just this, but it’s really frustrating to see some people flouting the rules and putting other people at risk. We are taking action to stop this happening. Sadly, a lot of people have already died after catching coronavirus. Families across Wales have lost loved ones to this virus – if we don’t act now, even more deaths will follow. Our actions and decisions over the Easter bank holiday weekend, and in the coming weeks and months, will shape Wales for years to come.

Alongside government ministers, the letter is also signed by representatives from the NHS, police and National Park authorities. Credit: Welsh Government

Boris Johnson has also sent a letter to UK households, urging them to comply with the lockdown.

This comes in the same week that Wales became the first nation in the UK to make it illegal for employers not to ensure their staff work at least two metres apart from each other.

On Wednesday 8, it was confirmed that 33 more people in Wales had lost their lives to coronavirus.

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