Tourism sector can start re-opening tomorrow, says First Minister

Wales' tourism sector will be able to start re-opening from tomorrow (Saturday) as the stay-local rule is lifted, First Minister Mark Drakeford (pictured) has announced.

The rules will also be changed to enable organised outdoor activities and sports for children and under-18s to take place and up to six people from two different households to meet and exercise outdoors.

The relaxations continue the Welsh Government’s planned, step-by-step approach to relaxing the coronavirus restrictions, taking account of the highly-infectious Kent variant, which is now the dominant form of the virus in Wales.

These are the final stages of the relaxations in this three-week review cycle and they follow the successful return of primary pupils and many older secondary school and college students to face-to-face learning and the start of the phased re-opening of non-essential retail, including the opening of hairdressers and barbers.

Wales is moving out of alert level four, and now starting to move into level three. Welsh Ministers will consider further alert level three measures in the next review of the regulations.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "These further relaxations are part of our careful and phased approach to unlocking the restrictions and enabling people and businesses to resume their activities in the safest possible way.

"We’re only able to do this because of the sacrifices everyone across Wales has made over the last few months – everything you are doing to keep your loved ones safe is also keeping Wales safe.

"The public health position remains stable; our incredible vaccination programme goes from strength to strength – we have headroom to make these changes.

"Self-contained holiday accommodation, including hotels with en-suite facilities and room service, will be able to reopen to people from the same household or support bubble.

"The stay local rule will be replaced by an interim all-Wales travel area, which will remain in place until April 12, subject to the public health situation. For the next two weeks, only those with a reasonable excuse, such as work, will be able to travel into or out of Wales." 

The current restrictions on international travel for holidays will remain in place.
Other changes include:

• Six people from two different households, excluding children under 11, will be able to meet and exercise outdoors and in private gardens;
• Organised outdoor activities and sports for children and under 18s will be able to resume;
• There will be a limited opening of outdoor areas of some historic places and gardens;
• Libraries and archives will be able to re-open.

The First Minister added: "We are taking a step-by step approach to relaxing restrictions and want to carry on being able to open up Wales.

"To do that we need everyone’s help. That means staying vigilant for signs of infection; isolating if we have symptoms and arranging to get tested.

"It also means following the basic steps to keep us all safe while we’re out and about – keeping our distance from others; not mixing indoors; avoiding crowds; washing our hands regularly and wearing face coverings."

The next review of the regulations will take place next week. Welsh Ministers will consider the following relaxations, which will come into effect from April 12, subject to the public health situation:  

• All pupils and students can return to schools, colleges and other education;
• All shops and close contact services can open;
• The interim all-Wales travel area can be lifted.

Health centre's latest vaccination update

Llangollen Health Centre has just posted a vaccination update on social media, which says:

"We are running three clinics this weekend and are busy booking patients into these clinics.  

"We have tried to contact all patients aged 55 and over and have now started on those aged 50-54 (Group 9).

"If you are aged 55 and above and you are worried that we may have missed you, please contact us on 01978 860625.

"Important information for those attending a clinic this weekend:

"If you are attending the clinic on Saturday morning in Plas Madoc, please be aware that this is Plas Madoc Leisure Centre. Please park in the Leisure Centre car park – there will be marshalls there to guide you.

"All other clinics are taking place at Llangollen Health Centre. There are no clinics in Glyn Ceiriog this weekend.

"If you are attending the Saturday clinic in Llangollen, it is important that you park in the correct car park as advised when booking. 

"The patient car park is the one near the Pharmacy, the staff car park is the one furthest away from Llangollen.  There will be marshalls there to guide you.

"*If you drive yourself to the clinic please be aware that you need to wait in your car for 15 minutes after your vaccination.  If someone else drives you or you walk, you will not have to wait*"

Extra cash made available to tackle potholes

* Potholes on the bridge after they received attention from the county council.

Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James has announced an extra £12m of funding for local authorities to fix potholes and improve roads, pavements and active travel routes across Wales.

llanblogger understands that Denbighshire's share is £476,071.

This could be welcome news in Llangollen where there have been numerous complaints about the state of the roads in and around the town centre.

llanblogger recently highlighted the growing number of deep potholes in Castle Street and as a result some of these of these received attention from the county council. 

The additional Welsh Government funding will allow local authorities to continue with planned highways maintenance works, boosting the economy and making active travel safer. 

Local authorities will also be better able to respond to the impact of recent weather events, including damage to highways caused by the recent flooding.

Llwybr Newydd, the Welsh Government’s new transport strategy, pledged a 'bold' increase in the number of people using public active travel or walking and cycling to get around. 

It  also highlighted the need to make best use of existing infrastructure through effective maintenance and management.

Local Government and Housing Minister Julie James said: "We know that during the pandemic with a quieter road network most councils have already made good use of the opportunity to undertake repairs and improvements.

“We are providing this extra funding to reflect the flood damage we have seen to highways across Wales and the ways in which we are using our local environment differently. 

“By providing this extra funding, we are enabling local authorities to continue making improvements to roads in Wales, boosting the economy and making roads safer for active travel."

Companies present Bryn Collen children with Easter egg gifts

* A Ysgol Bryn Collen pupils gives the thumbs-up to the Easter eggs.

* The consignment of Easter eggs ready for delivery.

Children at Ysgol Bryn Collen will finish for the Easter holidays this week with an extra special treat, courtesy of  the Three Eagles and Tyn Dwr Hall. 

Each child from nursery through to Year Six will be presented with an Easter egg before finishing for their two-week break.

Speaking on behalf of Three Eagles and Tyn Dwr Hall, company director Vicky Jones said: “We were delighted to donate almost 200 Easter eggs to the pupils of Bryn Collen before they finish school for Easter. 

"As a group of businesses we care passionately about our local community and recognise that some of the youngest residents have had a difficult year away from school and their friends. We hope this small gesture will bring a smile to their faces.”

Purchased from Aldi Llangollen earlier in the week, the supermarket staff were kind enough to help Vicky carry and load the eggs before they were distributed at the school.

Headreacher Lisa Howden said: “The children were thrilled to each receive an Easter egg as part of this act of kindness by the team behind Three Eagles and Tyn Dwr Hall. 

"This is the third year the team have generously donated something at Easter time to the students and we are tremendously grateful.”

Reminder that hospital grounds are now smoke-free

Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are working in partnership to remind residents that hospital grounds, as well as school grounds, public playgrounds, outdoor day care and child-minding settings, are now required to be smoke-free.

Emlyn Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s Head of Planning and Public Protection, said: “We will be working with the health board to assist their approach of advice and guidance to those visiting hospital sites.

“Smoking is extremely harmful and damaging to health and remains one of the main causes of inequalities in health in Wales. These measures have been introduced by Welsh Government to protect employees and the public from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

“Smoking will no longer be tolerated on hospital grounds. Officers will only be called to take enforcement as a last resort when it is clear people are ignoring the legislation and where the health board has taken all reasonable measures. Our main focus will be on assisting the health board in providing advice and guidance. Our officers will be dealing sympathetically and compassionately with patients experiencing difficult circumstances in line with the guidance contained within the legislation.

“I would also like to thank the health board for their increased efforts around encouraging people to quit smoking in light of this new legislation.”

Teresa Owen, Executive Director of Public Health, said: "The new Welsh Government regulations will support our efforts to help people quit smoking.

"We welcome the assistance we're receiving from our Local Authority colleagues to help keep public areas smoke free."

Library and One Stop Shop open from next Monday

* Llangollen Library will re-open next Monday, March 29.

Libraries across Denbighshire will be re-opening their doors from Monday, March 29 for browsing for books, using a computer and printing, and accessing One Stop Shop services. 

To ensure a safe visit, customers will need to phone their local library to make an appointment to visit.

Libraries are a safe place to visit with plenty of room for social distancing, limited numbers of people in at any time, and hand and equipment sanitiser available. All returned books are quarantined for 72 hours before being touched.

Visits to browse and choose books are limited to 20 minutes, and computer sessions are currently limited to 45 minutes, and one per week. You will need your library card number to book a computer session.

If you require help at the One Stop Shop with a council query or to make a payment, please call the library and ensure you have all the relevant details, so that we can deal with your query, and arrange an appointment if you need to come in.

The popular Order and Collect service will continue if you would prefer for library staff to choose the books for you to collect or have delivered to you. 

The Home Library Service is making deliveries of books to anyone who is unable to visit their local library – please call the library or visit the website to find out more about this service.

So that the shelves can be stocked up, you are asked to please return any books you’ve had on loan by dropping them off at the library. All the books currently on loan are being automatically renewed and you won’t be fined even if you’ve had them for months.

You can join the library, order books and download e-books, e-audiobooks, magazines and newspapers free – visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/libraries

Wales votes to protect its pets as new law passes Senedd

A vote has just passed in the Senedd introducing new regulations for pet sales. 

The regulations will also ban third party sales of puppies and kittens.

This means that from 10 September it will be an offence to sell a puppy or kitten which the seller has not bred themselves. 

Crucially the new regulations requires the seller to have bred the puppy or kitten “at the premises” – which puts a stop to lengthy and multiple transportations for the young animals, which can cause distress. 

This applies to travel in and around Wales, as well as banning puppies and kittens from being brought in to Wales, for sale.

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said: “Our much-loved pets fill us with joy, complete our families, and have helped us get through tough lockdowns during the pandemic.

“I want to thank all Senedd members for voting to ban the third party sales of puppies and kittens today. The people of Wales who responded to our consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of making this happen, and the charities, vets, volunteers and organisations that have worked tirelessly to help form the law into what has been passed today also deserve our thanks.

“We hope a ban will encourage respectful and responsible attitudes towards all animals, provide greater transparency for people who wish to welcome puppies or kittens into their homes as to how they have been bred, and empower Local Authorities to take action if they have concerns about how puppies and kittens are being bred and sold.”

Chief Veterinary Officer Christianne Glossop said: “The way we treat animals reflects the values of our society. That is why Welsh Government and the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group work in conjunction to promote high animal welfare standards and the responsible ownership of animals. This law will now close loopholes to protect the welfare and wellbeing of our puppies and kittens, while educating us all about what is right and fair for our pets.”

The Regulations will come fully into force on 10 September.  

During this time Statutory Guidance will be co-produced to support enforcement by Local Authorities and this timeline will also allow existing sellers affected to make changes and consider a different operating model to mitigate any potential impact.