North Wales politicians concerned 'unprecedented' amount of tourists to seaside towns could cause coronavirus spike
Several north Wales politicians have sent a joint letter to the First Minister expressing their fear of potential spikes in coronavirus caused by an "unprecedented" amount of tourists.
In the letter it says the number of visitors flocking to seaside towns in Gwynedd, like Barmouth, Aberdyfi, Abersoch and Morfa Byvhan, last weekend were "more than can be dealt with".
The letter was signed by Plaid Cymru's Helen Jones MS, Sian Gwenllian MS, Hywel Williams MP, Liz Saville-Roberts MP, Gwynedd Council leader Dyfrig Siencyn and Gwynedd Council deputy leader, Dafydd Meurig.
They urged the Welsh Government to take action to ensure this influx of people does not cause a new spike in Covid-19.
Large numbers of vehicles travelling to Barmouth have already caused issues with parking in recent weeks, with some motorcycles partially blocking the lifeboat station.
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In the letter to Mr Drakeford, the politicians said they sympathised with people wanting to come to the seaside after lockdown restrictions were eased but "the numbers flocking here are more than can be dealt with". They claim this "leads to a situation beyond the ability of the authorities to maintain order".
They said: "Using Barmouth as an example, on Friday afternoon there was no parking available and hundreds of cars continuing to flow into the town.
"As a result there was illegal parking and cars could not move one way or other."
The letter adds: "But what is most worrying is that so many were walking in the town that the social distancing rule could not be observed."
They questioned why big events like the Royal Welsh Show and the Eisteddfod were cancelled, when big crowds should be allowed to gather elsewhere "without restrictions".
They urged the Welsh Government to "acknowledge" that there is an issue and introduce measures to limit the amount of people travelling to tourism hotspots in Gwynedd, adding: "We are extremely concerned about the situation and ask for your guidance in the interest of the health of our people."
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We are working with our partners in local government to ensure the safety of locals, business owners and visitors alike.
"We expect everyone to fully comply with the coronavirus regulations in place in Wales."
Mark Drakeford previously told ITV News that Welsh Government are prepared to introduce local lockdown measures, which could include travel restrictions, but this would be in response to spikes in community transmission and part of a wider package of measures.