Public Asked To Help in Fight Against Covid
Coronavirus cases hit an all-time high in Carmarthenshire
Council leaders in West Wales say they are doing all they can in the fight against coronavirus.
However, local authority leaders in Carmarthenshire say the public must step up as Covid-19 cases hit an all-time high.
This week Carmarthenshire’s rate of infection has risen above the Wales national average - there are now more people in the county with Covid-19 than ever before.
The current rate of infection in Carmarthenshire (as of 1pm on 26/11/20) is now 207.7 per 100,000 people, up from 163.2 the previous week.
The Welsh average currently stands at 189.9 per 100,000 of the population.
The rising trend is a serious concern and frontline response services are being stretched.
Carmarthenshire County Council is now pleading with people to support their efforts and bring the numbers down.
Their message comes as Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announced further targeted action to strengthen current Covid-19 restrictions, including the closure of indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and bowling alleys, and the consideration of stronger restrictions on the hospitality industry which could be announced next week.
Council leader Emlyn Dole said: “As a council we are doing everything in our power to keep people safe, but the continued rise in cases is a real concern,” he said.
“We are caring for people in the most difficult circumstances; we are visiting and speaking to hundreds of businesses every day to ensure that buildings are safe for customers; our school staff are trying to keep pupils and staff safe whilst teaching and nurturing our children; and our contact tracing team is dealing with more cases than ever.
“Our frontline staff are doing this having spent months already responding to the pandemic and continuing to provide vital services to residents and businesses - many having been redeployed from their own jobs onto the frontline, and many whilst working from home with the challenges of juggling their own family responsibilities.
“We are doing our bit, and more - and we need your help. We can’t do this alone, we really need people to understand and stick to the rules to bring the spread of infection down and ease this unrelentless pressure.”
People are being asked to reduce their risk, and the risk they pose to others, by limiting their contact with other people, and their travel.
Current household bubbles arrangements allow two families to meet in their homes and gardens, but outside of that bubble people should take extra care about who they meet up with and where they go.
People can meet others away from private homes and gardens, but to reduce the risks it is advisable to see the same one or two people regularly than to see lots of different people occasionally.
Even then, social distancing must be maintained, both indoors and outdoors.
People are reminded that the rules allow a maximum group of four for socialising in regulated venues - booking multiple tables of four for larger groups, or mixing the group of four, goes against the spirit of the rules and puts more people at risk.