17 December 2020

Dear colleagues,

As promised, I am writing to you today to provide you with an update following our Strategic Leadership Team meeting this morning about yesterday’s announcement that Wales will enter Level 4 restrictions from Monday 28 December. 

In practice this means that similar restrictions will be in place from 28 December to those we saw during the firebreak in November and the first lockdown earlier in the year. People will be asked to stay home, as much as possible. All non-essential retail will close at 6pm on Christmas Eve and all hospitality businesses from 6pm on Christmas Day. 

In terms of how we will operate as an organisation, staff will be required to continue to work from home, wherever possible. Only in exceptional circumstances where working from home is not possible, will staff be working from our office buildings. Our buildings will remain closed to members of the public from 5pm on Thursday 24 December until further notice, except for our registration service which will be open by appointment only. 

Only critical frontline workers will be permitted to travel from home to work. And our schools’ staff will be returning to work from 4 January, although further details on when all pupils will be returning to schools in January is expected later today. We are liaising directly with Headteachers on these arrangements. 

I am, as ever, extremely grateful to our critical frontline workers, including schools’ staff, for your continued commitment in keeping our essential services running. 

Unlike the firebreak period and previous lockdown, our Household Waste and Recycling Centres will remain open by appointment only. However, residents attending will now be asked to wear face coverings.

Whilst shielding is not being reintroduced under these measures, our Crisis Support Team will be on hand once again to work closely with Vale Heroes to support vulnerable residents if they are having difficulty in accessing essential items, require befriending support and access to other forms of support and advice.

Having seen the most recent data on the number of cases in the Vale of Glamorgan, I can honestly say that these measures are urgently required to stop the spread of coronavirus in our communities. 

I would add that for the next couple of weeks, until these measures come into force, it remains vital that each of us think very carefully about what we should do, not what we can do. Taking small steps now such as staying at home as much as possible, avoiding meeting others from outside your household and regularly washing our hands, wearing face coverings and maintaining a 2 metre distance are all extremely important. 

I will write to you once again tomorrow in my last end of week message to all staff before Christmas. 

Diolch yn fawr. Stay safe.

Rob