Covid-19 testing centre for Market Street car park

* A testing centre will be located on Market Street car park.

The Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board has just announced on its Facebook page that a walk-in and drive-in testing centre will open in Llangollen this Saturday, December 12.

They say the aim is to make it easier for people in the area to get tested for Covid-19 closer to home.

The testing centre will be located on the Market Street car park and will be open from 9.30am until 3.30pm.

The board says no appointment is needed for a test. Anybody with symptoms of COVID-19 can attend for testing.

From 4.30pm today (Wednesday) the testing unit in Ruthin will close.

* For more details about testing, go to: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/covid-19/book-a-covid-19-test/

Date set aside for possible town council by-election

* Former town councillor George Hughes.

A by-election could be held in February to fill the vacancy on Llangollen Town Council left by the recent resignation of Cllr George Hughes if the seat is contested.

The Returning Officer at Denbighshire County Council has issued this information.

In Wales, any by-election that was scheduled to take place after March 16, 2020, or was due to a vacancy that occurred during the pandemic could not take place before February 2021. 

Any person wishing to stand as a candidate at the by-election should contact the Returning Officer at Denbighshire County Council on 01824 706114 or 706118, or email elections@denbighshire.gov.uk<mailto:elections@denbighshire.gov.uk> to obtain nomination papers. 

Completed nomination papers must be presented in person by appointment with the Returning Officer or her Deputy at County Hall, Ruthin no later than 4pm Friday, January 22, 2021. 

Should the election be contested polling will take place on Thursday February 18, 2021.

Changes being made to self-isolation payments

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents of amendments to the Self-Isolation Covid Support Scheme launched by Welsh Government last month.

The Self-Isolation Support Scheme was set up by Welsh Government to provide financial support to people on low incomes or facing financial hardship when they were asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service.

This will now be extended to help parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children when they have to self-isolate because of a coronavirus outbreak in their school or childcare setting.

Parents and carers on low incomes with children who are self-isolating will be eligible for a £500 support payment. To qualify, they must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in year eight – or up to age 19 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs – and who has received a formal notification to self-isolate from Test Trace Protect or their education or childcare setting.

Denbighshire County Council will be administering the payments on behalf of Welsh Government and application forms will be available on www.denbighshire.gov.uk from 3pm Monday, 14 December.  

The council says it will update residents when the application process opens and provide information on how to apply.

Call for relatives to be allowed to visit care homes by Christmas

With family members in England allowed to visit relatives in care homes if they test negative, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood (pictured) has called for the same programme to be rolled out in Wales in time for Christmas.

Mr Isherwood raised the matter in the Welsh Parliament after being contacted by families who are desperate to see loved ones in care homes over the festive period.

He said: “On 23 November, the Welsh Government announced a pilot programme for supporting visitors to care homes in Wales, and I call for a Welsh Government statement on provision for families to visit loved ones in care homes this Christmas.

“The Welsh Government statement then said you were offering testing to care home visitors across a small number of care homes, intended to pave the way for a wider roll-out to more Welsh care homes starting on 14 December. 

"Last week, the UK Government announced that care home residents in England will receive indoor visits from family and friends this Christmas if they test negative for COVID-19, unless there is an outbreak in the care home, with over one million rapid Lateral Flow Tests sent to homes as the first phase of an English national roll-out to enable visiting by Christmas. 

“As a constituent then e-mailed, and I'll quote them: 'Testing of relatives in England, and more and more people going into the care homes and holding their loved ones is beautiful, but what about Wales? Why are we always last in the queue? For God's sake, just roll it out and let the Welsh residents be granted the same lifeline as England’.

“I call for a statement and update accordingly.”

In her response, the Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans MS, said they are working to strike the balance of keeping residents in care homes safe from Covid, but also recognising that they have important well-being and mental health needs as well.

Mr Isherwood added: “As my constituent also stated, ‘We are once again let down by the Welsh Government, it's no good saying they are starting pilot testing. I am heartbroken that we are getting  nowhere, please speak for us in Wales , this situation  is disgusting and so, so unfair’.”

County's reminder of Covid guidance for seasonal events

Organisers of Christmas events are being reminded by the county council to take extra precautions due to coronavirus restrictions.

Under Welsh Government guidance, Christmas activities such as winter wonderlands, light shows, reindeer trails and other similar activities are highly likely to constitute an event under coronavirus restrictions.

Following restrictions brought in on December 4, the sale and consumption of alcohol is restricted, and organised activities should not include alcohol.

For an event wholly or mainly indoors, no person may be involved in organising an event at which more than 15 people are in attendance, excluding those under the age of 11 or those working or providing voluntary services at the event.

For outdoor events, no more than 30 people may be in attendance excluding those under 11 or those working or providing voluntary services at the event.

However, exceptions include the showing of a film, a market including Christmas markets, a religious service and a sporting event at which only elite athletes are competing.

Cllr Mark Young, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “Following a difficult year many people are looking forward to the festive period. To ensure the safety of our communities and to stop the spread of coronavirus it is important that those organising or attending events this Christmas are aware of the guidance.

“Anyone planning to organise an event will need to consider and plan very carefully especially in relation to how numbers will be managed to ensure that they do not exceed the maximum number of attendees at any time.

“It is important to remind organisers that it is your responsibility to ensure that your event is safe and within current covid-19 guidelines.

“We want residents in Denbighshire to enjoy Christmas this year but it is vital they do so in a safe and responsible way by following the guidance, practicing good hygiene and following social distancing rules.”

Anyone organising an event will be required to undertake a risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus, including taking all reasonable measures to ensure a 2m distance is kept between persons not of the same household and not to sell or supply alcohol at the event.

Christmas markets are not treated as events for the purposes of the regulations, but those organising a Christmas market must take all reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

If a Santa’s grotto is part of a number of separate attractions, it is highly likely the rules on events will apply.

Anyone attending or organising an event this festive period is asked to visit the Welsh Government guidance at https://gov.wales/guidance-for-tourism-and-hospitality-businesses-coronavirus-html#section-56295

Denbighshire County Council’s notification process is designed to make it easier for you to contact officers directly when organising an event.

In the current circumstances, please ensure that you have read Welsh Government guidance before making an event submission via http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/forms/events-notification-form.aspx

All captive birds to be kept indoors, advises county council

According to Denbighshire County Council, following incidents of avian flu in wild birds in Wales, anyone who keeps poultry or other captive birds must house them indoors from Monday, December 14 and keep a close watch on them for any signs of disease.

This follows the introduction of an All Wales Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in November and is in line with action to prevent the further spread of the disease across the UK.

This requirement to house birds indoors applies to birds kept as pets as well as those for commercial use.

Housing birds indoors will not reduce the risk of disease if it is not combined with the most stringent biosecurity practices. 

As such, all keepers are advised to conduct a self-assessment of their biosecurity measures. 

This will provide keepers with the evidence needed to ensure they have done all they can to meet the Prevention Zone requirements.

* You can find out about the biosecurity measures you should be taking here https://gov.wales/avian-influenza

If you have any concerns about your birds please contact your vet for advice.

Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out across Wales from today

The first COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled-out across Wales from today (Tuesday), the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Wales was the first country in the world to receive supplies of the vaccine last week, and has today become one of the first to begin protecting people against coronavirus.

The Welsh Government and NHS have been preparing for today since June.

The start of the vaccination programme comes just days after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the first Covid-19 vaccine for use in the UK, confirming its safety and effectiveness for mass vaccination centre use, based on a detailed independent expert review of the results of largescale clinical trials.

Some 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available across the UK, with Wales getting its allocation based on its population. In the first wave of vaccine deliveries, Wales will receive almost 40,000 doses, enough for nearly 20,000 people.

All health boards will start administering vaccines to care home staff, those over 80 years and frontline health and social care workers most at risk – over 6000 doses will be given by the end of this week.

Despite the specific storage and preparation challenges posed by the vaccine, work continues to ensure a safe deployment of effective vaccine to care home residents.

First Minister Mark Drakeford, said: “Last week, Wales was the first country in the world to receive supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine. Today, I’m very proud Wales has become one of the first countries in the world to begin the roll-out of the vaccine to its population.

“2020 has been a very difficult year for all of us. This vaccine is a small glimmer of light at the end of what has been a long and dark tunnel.

“But the fact we have a vaccine does not mean we can stop doing those things that keep us safe. We must all continue to do our bit to prevent the spread of coronavirus: regular hand washing, social distancing, and wearing a face covering where required to protect yourself and others.”

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Vaccines can take many years, even decades, to develop. The fact that a safe and effective vaccine has been developed in less than year is a remarkable tribute to all scientists and researchers around the world who have worked so hard to find a vaccine for COVID-19.

“We have been working really hard to plan for its arrival. Today, the first people in Wales will receive the vaccine. This is the positive news we have all been waiting for.

“We will now do everything we can to ensure we successfully deliver the COVID-19 vaccine across Wales in the days, weeks and months ahead.”