Dear Colleagues,

Following the First Minister’s announcement at lunchtime today, I wanted to write to you to update you.

Yesterday, the Leader of the Council and I met with our counterparts from Cardiff & Vale University Health Board and Cardiff Council to discuss the very serious situation in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. The number of cases of coronavirus have risen sharply in recent weeks. The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is now at record levels with Intensive Care Units at their highest level of occupancy in the second wave.

Today, it has been announced that all of Wales will now move in the coming weeks into the new Level 4 of the Coronavirus Control Plan that has recently been released by Welsh Government.

• From 6pm on Christmas Eve, all non-essential retail, close contact services and other venues such as gyms, will also close.
• From 6pm on Christmas Day, all hospitality settings will close.
• From 28th December, tighter restrictions on household mixing and travel will come into force.

Arrangements for what is permitted over Christmas are more complex. Even though what people can do under the legislation has not changed, the advice provided by the Welsh Government has changed. The strong advice from Welsh Government is now that only two households should form an exclusive “Christmas bubble” for the period 23rd – 27th December. One additional single person household is permitted to join this arrangement. However, coronavirus thrives on contact between individuals and households. As such, what is permitted is a limit, not a target and wherever possible, we should all look to limit our contact through a smaller and shorter period of any mixing that we may decide to do within these rules over Christmas.

I am meeting with the Council’s Strategic Leadership Team tomorrow morning to agree what this will mean for our Council services, both in the run up to Christmas and in the immediate period after and will update you further at the end of the week.

The announcement today and the message from myself, colleagues in the Health Service and others is absolutely clear. It is everyone’s responsibility to take the threat of coronavirus seriously and to follow the guidance. It is the everyday actions that we all take that can really help to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Wherever possible people must work from home. Aside from keeping two metres apart, regular handwashing, and wearing a face covering when needed, it is also important to:

• Avoid car sharing.
• Work from home wherever possible.
• Avoid social interaction if you need to visit a place of work.
• Avoid socialising and mixing in other people’s homes.
• Conduct Christmas shopping alone.

It is also important to self-isolate and get tested if showing any symptoms and to self-isolate if another member of the household is showing symptoms.

Please continue to do the fantastic work you have done throughout the most difficult circumstances and take the steps necessary so that we keep each other and our communities safe.

Diolch yn fawr. Stay safe.

Rob