Monday 2 November 2020

Dear colleagues,  

I hope you had a good weekend. 

As you may well have heard, the First Minister has today set out the plans for the end of the firebreak period on Monday 9 November. 

From Monday 9 November the following will apply to keep Wales safe: 

• Where it is possible to work from home, you should continue to do so 
• Non-essential retail and hospitality will reopen 
• All schools will reopen for pupils of all ages 
• 2 households will be able to join together to form an extended household or ‘bubble’. 
• Travel within Wales will be permitted, but people should only travel where the journey is essential. Travel outside of Wales will be permitted only with a reasonable excuse. 

The Leader and I have been meeting with our counterparts in other Local Authorities and the Police and with Welsh Government Ministers over the weekend to discuss the end of the firebreak period as well as plans for this second week of the temporary firebreak. It is clear that many are following the rules and this is undoubtedly making a difference. However, a small minority of people are not and we will be working hard in the coming days to work with colleagues in South Wales Police to ensure the rules are strongly enforced so that we maximise the impact of the firebreak. 

At our Strategic Leadership Team meeting tomorrow, we will be discussing how the new restrictions will affect individual Council services and the timetable for reopening these. We will continue to keep you and our residents regularly updated via Staffnet+, on social media and the Council’s website.  

It is clear that the virus continues to spread in our communities. I would like to remind everyone of the importance of isolating if you show any symptoms of coronavirus, getting a test and continuing to isolate until the test result is received. This means not leaving the house. More information about the symptoms, isolating and getting a test can be found on StaffNet+. 

I know that these measures are not easy and it is really important that we take care of ourselves and each other. There will be a range of new well-being initiatives rolled out in the coming weeks and I will keep you updated on these in my regular messages. However, you can keen up to date with all of this information on StaffNet+. 

Finally, I would like to thank you for working so hard to protect our residents and communities. I have said it before, but it is worth repeating – I am proud to work for this organisation and with such dedicated and conscientious colleagues.  

Thank you for being role models for others. Keep it up. 

Rob