GLIMMER OF HOPE
Wales to allow exercise more than once a day as garden centres re-open with UK Government set to follow
WALES will allow exercise more than once a day and garden centres to re-open next week.
First Minister Mark Drakeford today confirmed the changes, with the UK Government set to unveil similar plans on Sunday.
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Speaking at a press conference, Mr Drakeford claimed the changes could be done “safely” without impacting the infection rate.
He said: “We know these are things we can do safely without having an effect on that R rating.
“There are three of these modest adjustments.
“First is to the once a day exercise rule, we will adjust our regulations to allow people to be able to go outside for exercise more than once a day.
“Second we plan a change to allow garden centres to open provided the two metre social distancing rules can be applied.
“Thirdly, we are changing the rules to allow local authorities to begin planning how safely to open libraries and municipal recycling centres.
“These will apply to everyone other than 120,000 people in the shielded group.”
Mr Drakeford claimed the plans were “in step with other nations of the United Kingdom”, suggesting the same plans would soon be announced for the rest of Britain.
It follows The Sun revealing Boris would allow unlimited outdoor exercise from Monday.
Mr Johnson will unveil his long-awaited “unlockdown” plan on Sunday to gradually end the nation’s virtual house arrest.
Aides say he will make clear the vast bulk of restrictions will remain for some weeks.
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Today Nicola Sturgeon revealed the Scottish Government is also looking at expanding the current guidance over exercise - but that no other changes were expected.
The Scottish First Minister said: “The only change that we’re considering in the immediate term is the guidance on outdoor exercise, as I mentioned yesterday and I will give you a further update on that over the weekend.”
Ms Sturgeon also insisted Scotland could follow different rules to the rest of the UK.
She said: “I would remind people, when the Prime Minister speaks on Sunday, these restrictions are in place separately in all four nations of the UK.
“We all have our own legal responsibility to review them and keep them under review. Apart from on clearly reserved matters like border control, what the Prime Minister announces in terms of easing up of restrictions will be for England."
Today the UK coronavirus death toll rose to at least 30,947 after 332 died in hospitals across England.
It brings the total number of deaths in NHS England hospitals to 22,764, including a six-week-old baby believed to be the UK's youngest victim.
The rise in England is smaller than it was yesterday, when 383 further deaths were announced.
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Mr Johnson could ease the coronavirus lockdown in fortnightly stages over several months before it’s fully lifted, according to the Telegraph.
He will meet with his cabinet on Sunday before revealing his “road map” for Britain in a televised address that evening.
A Government source said: “It means we could lift restrictions once a fortnight rather than reviewing the lockdown every three weeks, as is currently the case.”
Another added: “You take a baby step, monitor the R rate really closely, satisfy yourself it’s not leading to an increase in R, take another baby step and so on.”
This was echoed this morning by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, who this morning warned the public any changes would be “tentative” and could even be reversed.
He said: “At each stage we’ll take a supremely cautious approach and it will only be if the public health allows us to do so that we will take that step of unlocking.
“If we see a variation from that for example the R rate starts to rise in an uncontrollable fashion then we won’t hesitate to step back again.”
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