New lockdown measures are being brought into Wales after a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus. The incline in cases has been linked to clusters of people not meeting indoors, not following social distancing guidelines and a number of families and individuals going on holidays abroad.
Which areas in Wales are in lockdown?
As it stands, only one area of Wales has been put under local lockdown measures.
The county borough of Caerphilly will be put into a local lockdown at 6pm on Tuesday, September 8.
People will to be able to leave or enter the borough without an essential reason, the Welsh Government has said.
These reasons include work if they are unable to work from home, or to make a compassionate visit to a loved one or to give care.
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Local authorities will be tasked with enforcing the new measures, helped by local police forces.
Face masks will be required for everyone aged 11 and older in shops.
Seeing others within extended households will also be banned, while nobody will be able to stay out overnight.
The Welsh government said Caerphilly recorded 55.4 cases per 100,000 people, making it the county with the highest R rate in Wales, and one of the highest in the UK.
However, schools, bars and restaurants will not be closed under the restrictions.
In addition, care home visits will also be given the green light to go ahead.
Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “We have seen a significant rise in cases in Caerphilly borough over a very short space of time, which are linked to holiday travel abroad and people socialising indoors and not following social distancing guidelines.
“A lot of these cases are in younger people and thankfully, at the moment, most of these are mild.
“But coronavirus is now circulating in the community and it is only a matter of time before we start to see more serious cases, which need hospital treatment.
“We need the help of everyone in Caerphilly borough to prevent the increasing and onward spread of coronavirus.
“We can only bring this local outbreak under control if everyone pulls together and follows these new steps.
“|f we do not see cases falling, we may need to take further steps to bring this local outbreak under control.”
