MP says Cummings showed "poor judgement" with road trip

The Prime Minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings showed "poor judgement" when he broke lockdown regulations to drive to County Durham with his family.

That's the view of Clwyd South Conservative MP Simon Baynes (pictured) who has just taken to Facebook to explain his position on the affair.

Mr Baynes says he would not have made the journey in the same situation and believes Mr Cummings should have explained his position when the story first broke in the media.

However, he adds that he respects Boris Johnson's controversial decision to keep Mr Cummings in his post. 

Mr Baynes has posted on his Facebook page: "Many thanks to everyone in Clwyd South who has taken the trouble to write to me about Dominic Cummings and I fully understand and sympathise with your deep concern on this matter. Please rest assured that I have communicated your views to No.10 Downing Street and the government loud and clear over the last few days.

"I have been very moved by the emails and messages that I have received which describe the sacrifices people have made during the lockdown, particularly being unable to see much loved family and friends and, in some cases, the heart-breaking death of loved ones from Coronavirus.

"I am currently answering these emails and messages and hope to have replied to everyone by the end of this weekend.

"Like you, I have stayed at home during the crisis with my family and have worked remotely as your MP throughout this period. My team and I have had contact remotely with many hundreds of constituents during this time and they have often asked my advice about difficult decisions they were faced with during the crisis.

"Dominic Cummings also had difficult decisions to make given the vulnerability of his four year-old son when his wife was suffering from Covid-19 and that his home in London was a target for protesters, some of whom threatened violence. He has spoken in detail and been questioned at length about the action he took in going to his parents’ farm to self-isolate in a separate building, his trip to Barnard Castle (which in my view was badly misjudged) and then his return to work afterwards.

"Whilst I understand the course of action he took in exceptionally difficult circumstances and can accept that it was within the letter of the regulations, I think he showed poor judgement and I would have not made the same journey if I had been faced with this situation myself.

"Furthermore, I feel strongly that he should have fully explained his reasons when the story first became public and apologised for his behaviour. I accept, however, the Prime Minister’s decision to keep Mr Cummings in his post but trust that the public reaction has emphasised the importance of accountability and integrity in these matters.

"My priority now is to continue to provide the best representation possible for the people of Clwyd South both in the constituency and at Westminster, making sure that your views and concerns are strongly communicated to the Prime Minister and the government as we continue the task of fighting Coronavirus and easing lockdown restrictions."

Please do not hesitate to contact me on simon.baynes.mp@parliament.uk if I can help on any matter and thank you again for everything that you are doing to keep us and the NHS safe in Clwyd South.

Pentredwr villagers get together in a bright new virtual world

* Pentredwr villagers pictured before the Covid crisis.

Pentredwr usually has its community centre as the heart of the village, bringing people together for various activities such as quiz nights, plant sales, yoga classes, and maker days. 

Unfortunately, due to the imposed lockdown in Wales, the community of Pentredwr were not able to use the centre or continue these activities.

However, they have come up with a way to continue with some of the valuable social activities that would normally take place in the community centre.

The community has now moved its activities online, using Zoom to keep the community spirit alive..

Since the beginning of May, coffee mornings, yoga and fitness classes plus quizzes, art classes, cookery lessons, book groups and talks will take place over Zoom and other social media platforms. 

Several of the villagers don’t have access to the internet, so a printable weekly newsletter has been created to help keep everyone connected.

This was all made possible through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development
Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. 

Pentredwr received £3,000 of funding through the programme, allowing them to carry out a wealth of activities.

Recently the village hosted an online Zoom quiz that was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone involved.

Spike Hayward, a 19-year-old from Pentredwr, said: “I really enjoyed the quiz night. I can’t see my friends at the moment and having something like the quiz to take part in helped feel like a little bit of normality had been restored."

Another member of the community, Julie Jones, said: “Living on my own, it’s been very hard, and I can get lonely. I found it quite easy to create a zoom account and its been wonderful to be able to talk to different people."

Another benefit of the community moving online is that is has allowed people that used to live in Pentredwr to reconnect with old friends. 

Chris Bird-Jones used to live in the village and recently took part in the Zoom Zumba class,.

She said “It was lovely to join in and great that we can do this through Zoom, it really made me feel like part of the community again."

Ticky Lowe, the events and funding officer for the community centre, said: “As a rural village
the added isolation of the lockdown has had a big impact on our community, and we hope that this project will help our community to feel connected again."

If you live in the local area and would like to talk part please email info@pentredwr.co.uk for more information. 

Some of the recent events were Zumba Light with Julie Thomas, Mushroom Talk with Lisa Heledd Jones and a Community Coffee Morning.

This evening, Saturday May 30, at 11am, there's Yoga with Catherine Farrell.

Llan takes part in last official big clap for key staff

* Cat Meade's video showing residents waving light sabres 

during the last big clap in Bishops Walk.

People across Langollen were outside their homes yesterday evening to take part in the last official clap for NHS and key workers during the Covid-19 crisis.

The event has taken place every Thursday at 8pm for the past 10 weeks and has seen people throughout the UK join in a public display of unity and gratitude.

However, organiser Annemarie Plas called for this round to be the last, saying "it is good to stop it at its peak".

Amongst the most active supporters of the clapping were residents of Bishops Walk.

And last night Cat Meade, co-ordinator of Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group, who lives nearby, recorded their last clap on a short film which she posted on Facebook.

In the post she said: "Bishops Walk, 10 weeks of applause, dancing, light sabres, n smiles Everybody needs GOOD NEIGHBOURS."

At the Pavilion field, as they have done for many weeks, a group of sound experts set up a bank of loudspeakers over which town crier Chem Cheminais could boom his message of thanks across the town.

Concern reported over lack of distancing room at roadworks

* The roadworks on Hill Street which led to 

the resident's concern.

A nearby resident reported concerns to a county councillor that roadworks on Hill Street, Llangollen were making it difficult for people to stick to social distancing rules.

The resident told llanblogger: "The area left for pedestrians was very narrow, not allowing for social distancing in accordance with Welsh Government regulations. The contractor is MJ Quinn for Openreach.

"Later it was completely blocked off, even pedestrians couldn't get through. 

"So residents had to walk down Vicarage Hill and Willow Hill with a possible shortcut across the Youth Club field. This work was to last for three days, apparently."

The resident added: "I raised the matter with County Councillor Graham Timms and he was investigating via Denbighshire highways."

Cllr Timms said: "I reported the problem to the county council late Wednesday afternoon after being contacted by a local resident. 

"I was informed that Denbighshire would get in touch with the contractor urgently to ask them to check out the situation on Hill Street. 

“The works are due to finish on Friday (29th May) and on Thursday evening there was about 10metres of the road that had a restricted footpath. 

"At that time it was easy to see if there were other oncoming pedestrians on this section of Hill Street so that social distancing could be maintained. 

“It is important that local residents get in touch if they believe that the county council or its contractors are not helping residents to observe social distancing rules so that these matters can be addressed urgently."

County volunteers thanked for helping with Covid-19 crisis

As part of next week's national Volunteers Week Denbighshire County Council and Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) are thanking all those who have stepped forward during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since March over 500 Denbighshire residents have registered as volunteers and been assigned with their roles by the two organisations.

Many have helped the council directly with care work within homes and the community, befriending calls, PPE and equipment drivers, homelessness support and domestic duties such as cleaning and laundry, while DVSC has placed many more with community groups across the county.

Cllr Tony Thomas, Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “There has been tremendous support in our communities since the coronavirus outbreak. We have seen people come together and help others and that is something to be celebrated. I’d like to thank all those across Denbighshire who are volunteering and congratulate them on their work and I would also like to thank DVSC for working in partnership with the Council during this challenging time.

“I would like to also pay tribute to those who have been volunteering through the council directly and are helping provide vital support and help to people. It is tremendous to see the effect this is having on people’s lives and we know those receiving help are extremely grateful.”

Helen Wilkinson, Chief Executive of DVSC, said: "Over the last few months, the COVID19 Volunteer Community Response DVSC initiated has depended on volunteers stepping up to provide support to some of our most vulnerable residents.

“We have worked closely with Denbighshire County Council to ensure we place volunteers where the need is greatest, and the voluntary and community action is safe, effective and inspires people to keep stepping up. 

“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all volunteers who have supported residents, voluntary and community groups, third sector organisations, social enterprises, local businesses, and our public service partners like Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Every single voluntary act - great or small - has made a real difference to people's lives."

Volunteer Week, which takes place between June 1 and 7, is led in partnership with Third Sector Support Wales, of which DVSC is a member, Volunteer Scotland, Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and is supported by organisations across the UK. 

Waste sites to re-open tomorrow - but it's bookings only

Denbighshire County Council has announced that its household waste recycling centres will re-open tomorrow, Thursday May 28. with a bookings only system for people to dispose of essential household waste.

It says demand at the recycling centres at Lon Parcwr (Ruthin), Colomendy Industrial Estate (Denbigh) and Marsh Road (Rhyl)  will be very high, therefore it has introduced a booking in system, to keep queuing traffic at a reasonable level and in order to comply with social distancing measures.  

People can book a slot online: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling or if people are having difficulty, they should contact the Council. The system is live now.

Drivers will need to bring their booking reference number and proof of residency.  Anyone turning up without an appointment will not be allowed on site.

The “pop-up” Household Waste Recycling Centres services in Corwen and Llangollen are still suspended until further notice.   

This is because the council says it is not able to ensure that social distancing would be maintained, and it is therefore not safe to open these.

The council is advising visitors to the recycling centres of the following:

• People must not visit the Recycling Centre if they or anyone they are living with is in self-isolation or showing COVID-19 symptoms.
• No twin axle trailers will be allowed entry (Car-derived vans/4x4s and single axle trailers will be able to enter).  People may only bring their household waste in a works vehicle if they already have a permit to do so.The Council are processing requests for new permits as usual.  Please do not make a booking until you have a valid permit.
• Please segregate waste before coming to site to speed up the visit.
• The number of vehicles on-site will be restricted and where possible vehicles should only include the driver as only one person will be allowed to unload their vehicles. People must remain in their car whilst queuing.
• Social distancing measures must be adhered to at all times by both staff and visitors.
• Black bag waste should only contain non-recyclable waste.  DCC are collecting food, cans, plastics, paper, card and glass at the kerbside so residents should use these collections for these materials.  We will not accept black bag waste that contains food and recyclables.
• The sites will be very busy and you should expect to queue to access the site. The booking system will reduce waiting times but you should still expect queues.  At our two smaller sites in Denbigh and Ruthin, waiting time will increase by approximately 20 further minutes if the skips become full and need emptying as no site users are allowed on the site during this operation.
• A new traffic management system will be in place but if the queues spill out onto a busy road  and cause a hazard, people may be asked to move on.  The Council has done what it can to mitigate this with the booking in system, but it is reliant on the public to adhere to the 20 minute slots and not turn up without prior booking.
• Please treat our staff and fellow customers with respect and consideration during this challenging period.  Any incident/abuse of site staff or other users will not be tolerated, will result in you not being able to book in to visit again and may involve police intervention.

The opening hours for the sites will be:

Ruthin : Monday – Thursday 10am-6pm; Closed Friday; Sat & Sun 9am – 5pm

Denbigh: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri – 10am – 6pm; Closed Thursday; Sat & Sun 9am – 5pm

Rhyl : Monday – Sunday 10am – 6pm

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Our teams have been working hard during these unprecedented times to keep as many of our services as possible operating, including recycling, food and waste collections. 

“We recognise that the closure of the recycling centres will have caused disruption and we thank residents for their patience and understanding.  We were following the national guidelines which did not consider journeys to the recycling centres as a reasonable excuse to leave home, so we took the decision to close the sites.  That position has now changed and we have been involved in discussions nationally to re-open the sites as quickly as possible.

“We are expecting a very high demand for use of the sites and it has been decided to use a booking system to reduce traffic congestion and to protect the safety of people using the site or working there.  The position will be under constant review and we will advise residents if anything changes.

“What we would ask is for people to follow the rules and we can work together to try and reintroduce the service as smoothly as possible."

Ambulance staff assaulted after asking patients to wear masks

* Claire Roche, the Trust’s Executive Director of Quality and Nursing, in her video message to patients.

The Welsh Ambulance Service is asking some of its patients to wear a surgical mask to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Crews are now attending every call across Wales in protective equipment, which includes masks, visors, aprons and coveralls, in addition to their standard gloves.

Some patients are also being asked to wear a surgical mask as a precautionary measure to halt the spread of the virus, especially those who exhibit symptoms.

But a growing number of patients have become aggressive when being asked to comply, the Trust has reported.

A small number of colleagues have also been the victim of physical assault.

Claire Roche, the Trust’s Executive Director of Quality and Nursing, said: “At this time, our crews will attend all incidents with personal protective equipment.

“What you may not be aware of is that they may also ask you, the patient, to put on a surgical mask.

“The reason they do this is to not only protect you but also for the protection of the people around you.

“If we do ask you to put on a mask, please do not be alarmed and follow the instructions of our staff.

“We understand how distressing this situation may be and we also understand that putting on a mask while having shortness of breath may seem counter-intuitive but it is the right thing to do.

“Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, our staff have reported a growing number of instances in which patients have been aggressive and have even been the subject of an assault after asking a patient to put on a mask.

“Assaulting our staff is never acceptable, no matter the circumstances.”

In a video message shared to the Trust’s Facebook and Twitter, Claire added: “We are here to help, never to harm.

“We ask all of you, the people of Wales, to please continue to trust our staff and to comply with the instructions we may give you.”

Click here to watch Claire’s video message.