Covid: Welsh Conservatives call for plan to end lockdown rules

Ministers say they have held off further easing of lockdown rules while cases rise

The Welsh government is "stuck in lockdown mode" and should stop "treating the Welsh people like children", the Conservatives have said.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has held off lifting restrictions amid concerns over the Delta variant.

The Tories called for ministers to set out a dated plan for when they will lift all restrictions.

Mr Drakeford's government said its approach to reopening was led by the data and not "by artificial dates".

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said a plan was needed given data showing the number of people in hospital with Covid has fallen to a record low.

The party did not propose its own date for scrapping lockdown restrictions, but said it would like to see them end "as soon as it is safe to do so".

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According to the latest data from Public Health Wales there were 86 Covid patients in hospital beds in Wales on 30 June - a record low for the second day running.

However the case rate across Wales on Thursday was 66.5 per 100,000 people - the highest since 23 February.

There have only been minor changes to the rules in Wales since 7 June, after the first minister announced a pause in order to "reduce the peak number of daily hospital admissions" and allow time to vaccinate more people.

Ministers had considered permitting more indoor mixing, allowing more people to attend indoor events and reopening ice skating rinks, before deciding to hold off.

Currently in Wales people are able to meet in private homes if they are in an extended household with a fixed set of other homes, unlike in England where six people from any household can meet.

Nightclubs remain closed, as they do across the UK, while limits on social distancing and how many people can meet outside remain.

Some Covid-19 lockdown rules and guidance remains in place in Wales

The restrictions will be reviewed again in a fortnight, with any further lifting due to be announced by Mr Drakeford on 15 July - no dates have otherwise been set.

However the UK government's new Health Secretary Sajid Javid has already said he sees "no reason" why restrictions in England will not end on 19 July.

The end of England's lockdown was originally scheduled for 21 June, but was pushed back by four weeks.

The Scottish government hopes to lift the final major restrictions in Scotland on 9 August.

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Mr Davies said: "Given the data, it's important the Welsh Labour government now provides families, schools, workers and businesses with their plan for restoring all freedoms and releasing restrictions in Wales, as has been seen in Scotland and England.

"Sadly, the Welsh government is stuck in lockdown mode and can't shift gears into recovery because it means actually having to tackle some of the issues that Labour have failed to tackle over the past two decades.

"Instead of treating the Welsh people like children, the Welsh government needs to talk to them like adults.

"People will understand that no date ministers choose comes with zero risk for Covid.

"Sadly, it can't be eliminated and moving forward we will have to learn to live with it like we do with other viruses," he said.

Asked what the Welsh Conservatives would do, and whether they would support lifting restrictions on 19 July, a spokesman said: "Ministers will have access to advice and data not currently afforded to opposition parties.

"However, we would like to see restrictions lifted in Wales as soon as it is safe to do so. The virus doesn't recognise Offa's Dyke and our preference has long been for a consistent UK-wide approach, but the data may suggest some nuances are required in Wales."

Ahead of May's Senedd election the Welsh Conservatives published a plan to end lockdown that broadly aligned with the UK government's plans at the time.

It included a proposal to possibly end social distancing in Wales by 21 June.

A Welsh government spokesman said: "Since the start of the pandemic we have taken a cautious, phased approach to reopening and have been led by the data that is presented to the cabinet by the chief medical officer and our scientific adviser, and not driven by artificial dates.

"We review the coronavirus regulations every three weeks and update members of the Senedd and the public about whether we are able to relax these, in line with our coronavirus control plan."