Coronavirus: Welsh Conservatives want Wales lockdown exit plan
- Published
Rules in Wales now allow for people to go out to exercise more than once per day
A "road map" to take Wales out of lockdown should be published to give people hope, the leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd has said.
Paul Davies called for a "clear exit strategy" from the first minister.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined how lockdown could begin to be lifted in England.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said it was difficult to say whether Wales will follow a similar path to England until more detail is provided by the PM.
He said it was "important to give people a sense of the direction of travel" but did not commit the Welsh Government to producing a plan outlining phased changes to the lockdown restrictions.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Mr Davies said the prime minister "put forward a clear plan for England in terms of how he wants to recover the economy".
"After seven weeks of restrictions the people of Wales need hope and aspiration about how and when the lockdown could end, and we need the Welsh Government to deliver this now."
Lockdown in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government, which controls the legislation that enforces it.
Small changes announced last week come into force in Wales on Monday, including allowing people to exercise more than once a day and go to garden centres.
But the prime minister has gone further in England - from Wednesday people will be allowed to drive to other destinations, play sports with members of their household and sit in parks.
None of those measures have been proposed for Wales, and ministers have specifically warned against people driving for exercise.
The new slogan rolled out in England - stay alert - has also been rejected in Wales in favour of the existing stay home message.
The Conservative leader in the Senedd said people were "exaggerating" differences between Wales and England
Boris Johnson has also laid out tentative possible dates for further relaxation of restrictions, such as 1 July for reopening hospitality businesses.
Asked whether the prime minister had confused people by not making it clear that his address was mainly relevant to England, Mr Davies said he had been "very clear".
Mr Davies, Member of the Senedd for Preseli Pembrokeshire, said: "I think people are exaggerating these differences.
"Yes, there are differences in terms of travelling for exercise, but I think on the whole, and in general terms, the governments are on the same page when it comes to fighting the virus."
"Let's not forget, Boris Johnson is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and he has that responsibility, but he was clear in his statement that the lockdown wouldn't come to an end," Mr Davies added.
"He was also clear that there will be flexibility across the UK and that there was a possibility that different administrations would actually move at different speeds."
Lockdown 'may not feel different when lifted'
Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Government's counsel general, declined to put a time frame on any changes.
Instead, he made repeated reference to an already published document, including questions to consider before decisions are made around relaxing restrictions.
The questions range from "Would easing a restriction have a negative effect on containing the virus?" to "Does it have a positive impact on equality?"
Mr Miles told BBC Wales, "When the lockdown is lifted it will not be immediate, it will be gradual, and in the initial stages, it may not feel very different from the restrictions that we are living under now.
"But it's very important that that is the way that it happens so that we can continue to monitor and keep the spread of the virus under control, which is everyone's top priority."
Mr Miles said work was "under way" to re-introduce some non-coronavirus NHS procedures and getting more people to travel on public transport.
He also said Education Minister Kirsty Williams would publish a document "in the coming days" explaining the next steps for the phased return to schools.
'Difficult' to say if Wales will follow English roadmap
Speaking at the daily Welsh Government press conference, Mr Drakeford said it was "difficult" to say whether Wales would follow the same approach as the prime minister in laying out a roadmap for exiting lockdown.
He said until detail was given by the UK government on its plans "it's difficult for me to know what we will say in Wales will be on the same basis".
"We're yet to see the details that need to underpin what the prime minister said yesterday", he said, and promised further details on his plans later this week.
"We will continue to develop this framework throughout the week to create a more detailed roadmap, based on the latest scientific advice," he added.
- Published10 May 2020
- Published10 May 2020
