Plaid Cymru call for New Zealand model for stopping spread of Covid-19
Plaid Cymru is calling for the Welsh Government to adopt a New Zealand-style model to reduce the number of cases of coronavirus.
Adam Price MS unveiled his party’s '7-point Coronavirus recovery plan' which he says would "drive down the ‘R’ number, suppress cases and to reduce the number of avoidable deaths to zero".
The Plaid Cymru leader added that once the number of new cases had been successfully suppressed nationally then a “more local” approach could be adopted with the ability to “re-impose lockdown measures” in order to quickly respond to the emergence of new clusters.
Mr Price said that in order to safely move to the next phase on the path to recovery, the Welsh Government would have to “change gear” and honour their promises to “ramp up testing and tracing”.
On Friday, the Welsh Government extended the lockdown for a further 3 weeks with some “small and modest” adjustments.
On Sunday evening, the Prime Minister will outline any changes to the lockdown in England only.
Mr Price added that if the Prime Minister were to “insist” on relaxing the lockdown in England, then travel restrictions imposed within Wales and between Wales and other parts of the UK “may be necessary” to avoid a “potentially disastrous impact” on Welsh communities.
“With the rate of Coronavirus transmission startlingly high", Adam Price MS said, "the stay at home message should be sent loudly and clearly. This is the only way to save lives. By respecting the lockdown, we will recover faster.”
“If the Prime Minister insists on relaxing the lockdown in England, travel restrictions imposed within Wales and between Wales and other parts of the UK may be necessary in order to avoid a potentially disastrous impact on our communities.”
“Plaid Cymru’s seven-point plan is centred on continuing the lockdown.
“When the number of new cases has been successfully suppressed nationally, then a more local approach can be adopted, with the ability to re-impose lockdown measures quickly in response to the emergence of new clusters.
“All efforts must now focus on driving down the R number - the rate at which the virus reproduces – to reduce the number of avoidable deaths to zero. This is the model adopted so successfully by New Zealand.
“Moving safely to the next phase on the path to recovery requires the Welsh Government to change gear, abandon the excuses and honour the promises to ramp up testing and tracing.”
On Sunday, Mark Drakeford admitted that he doesn't know what the Prime Minister will announce in his TV address later, but said that he expected similarly cautious moves to those the First Minister introduced on Friday and which come into force from Monday.
"What I want is a regular and reliable pattern of engagement with the UK Government - not happening in fits and starts", the First Minister told ITV Cymru Wales on Sunday, indicating the communication between the UK and Welsh Governments has not been everything he hoped it would be.
"Where we have it, it is good and useful, but I want to have a reliable pattern of engagement because the more we talk to one another, the more we share information, the more we share perspectives, the better the chances are that we can agree on common ways to move forward".