“The rules and what is the right thing to do aren’t a surprise now, we’ve been in this position for the best part of 10 months”

Wales’ health minister has said police forces have the Welsh Government’s support in taking a more “enforcement led approach” to dealing with those who deliberately ignore the coronavirus rules in place.

It comes amid reports of people travelling from across Wales and England to visit beauty spots such as Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.

In the last week North Wales Police have dealt with people who have travelled from as far as Kent and Southampton to climb Snowdon.

Visitors from Wrexham and Rhyl have also been turned away from the area.

Officers have since been “maintaining a high visibility presence” in the area to deal with a number of breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

As part of the level four restrictions in place exercise must start and end at your home and you must only go out for work or essential reasons.

Speaking about those deliberately flouting the level four rules, Mr Gething said: “The great majority people are following the rules and are doing the right thing, and I’m very grateful to everyone across Wales who is doing that.

“It’s really important that people see the value in doing that, because I think lots of those people are deeply frustrated to see people plainly breaking the rules.

“The rules and what is the right thing to do, aren’t a surprise now. We’ve been in this position for the best part of 10 months.

“I know that people that are doing their part are very frustrated with people who plainly aren’t, and I am deeply frustrated with people who are not doing the right thing and finding a way to justify to themselves why they don’t need to do the right thing.

“The law is there and in place for a reason, to keep all of us safe and there are penalties for those people who break the rules.

“And actually if the police take a more enforcement heavy approach with people are plainly doing the wrong thing and knowingly doing so, they will have the full support of Welsh Government ministers in doing so, because all of us need to play a part.

“I cannot overstate my frustration with pictures of people who know they’re doing the wrong thing but nevertheless, doing so.

“We’re in an unfinished global pandemic, many of our people have already died, and many more will do.

“We all have a responsibility to do the right thing.”

Asked by Wales Online if travel restrictions could be reintroduced in north Wales due to the increase of cases, the health minister said that the current “stay home” rules in place mean that people should only be leaving their house for essential reasons or exercise, so no travel restrictions are needs, as they are already in place.

Mr Gething added that this far into the pandemic, he has a “great deal less tolerance for people who are knowingly doing the wrong thing” and that the Welsh Government would support the police in a more “enforcement led approach”.

Locally officers have taken the approach of educate, encourage, explain and enforce with those who have broken the rules in place.

We asked Mr Gething if the Welsh Government does support tougher enforcement from the police, if that means he believes the engagement and education element of the approach should be skipped.

He said: “If someone has driven from Beaumaris to go down to Towyn, if that is a journey for pleasure that is outside of the rules.

“Exercise is supposed to be starting and ending at your own home, either on foot or on a bike.

“There are limited exceptions, but people who have decided to drive somewhere to go for a walk up a mountain, well I think those people know that they’re doing the wrong thing.

“But 10 months deep into a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 3,500 in our country, I have a great deal less tolerance for people who are knowingly doing the wrong thing.

“And I think you’ll find that your readers, those whom are doing the right thing will have a lot less tolerance of people are plainly not doing the right thing either.”