A view from Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 10th, 2021

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths writes…

Readers will be aware Wales moved to Alert Level 0 on Saturday, as first indicated by the First Minister three weeks ago. It means all restrictions on meeting with others have been removed and all businesses are now open.

The sacrifices people have made, coupled with the outstanding work of the vaccination teams, has helped get us to this stage. Although we are close to returning to normality and there is reason to be optimistic, we must remember the virus is still active and it’s important some protections are maintained.

People must continue to isolate for 10 days if they have Covid-19 symptoms or if they have a positive result. Face coverings will continue to be required for the time being in most indoor public places and businesses should continue to take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

The First Minister has been clear he does not expect this to be a “free-for-all”. I urge people in Wrexham to enjoy the new freedoms but to remain vigilant, and I hope the precautions still in place will continue to provide people with reassurance as they venture outdoors.
If people are still unsure what Alert Level 0 entails, all the information can be found on the Welsh Government’s website, which includes a useful Frequently Asked Questions page.

Whether you live in Wales, or you’re just visiting, remember:

We still have some coronavirus protections in place here to keep you and our communities safe.

Please wear a mask indoors and when using public transport, unless you are exempt.

➡️ https://t.co/qwQcXHOULh

— Welsh Government #KeepWalesSafe (@WelshGovernment) July 23, 2021

Vaccination rates in North Wales are amongst the highest in the world and each and every person involved in the rollout deserves great credit for this outstanding achievement.

According to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s latest figures, around 85% of eligible adults in North Wales are fully vaccinated and more than three quarters of people aged between 18 – 39 have had a first dose.

In addition to helping protect your loved ones and the wider community, having both jabs reduces your chances of hospitalisation with Covid-19 by over 90 percent, so it is vital as many people as possible get vaccinated.

You can book first and second dose jabs at a convenient date, time and location via the Health Board’s online booking service. Glyndwr University’s Catrin Finch Centre is accepting walk ins without an appointment on most days and pop-up vaccination clinics are targeting areas across the region.

The vaccine offers protection but you could still pass the virus onto others who haven’t been vaccinated. Please do your bit to protect those around you.

Book an appointment today 👇https://t.co/2oMDCjqowa pic.twitter.com/2gTMstO6PU

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) August 3, 2021

Another significant change to the Covid regulations came into force on Saturday as Wales became the first UK nation to stop asking fully vaccinated adults to self-isolate if they come into close contact with a positive Covid case.
You now only have to self-isolate if you have tested positive or if you are identified as a close contact and haven’t had both jabs.

The Self-Isolation Support Scheme was recently extended until March 2022 and with fewer people now expected to self-isolate, the payment available to people on lower incomes has increased by £250 to £750.
If you earn less than £500 a week and are asked to self-isolate and can’t work from home, you could be entitled to the support.
The details of how to claim can be found here: https://gov.wales/self-isolation-support-scheme

https://twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1422090002884960257

Finally, I am really looking forward to taking part in this year’s Wrexham Walking Festival.
Every day until Sunday 15th August, a series of free walks are taking place across our region and people of all ages and abilities are welcome to join in.

This summer, as we carefully emerge on the other side of the pandemic, the Welsh Government is advising people to holiday at home and to explore everything Wales has to offer. The Wrexham Walking Festival offers the ideal opportunity for people explore the natural beauty spots right on our doorstep.

All the information can be found here or you can contact the Tourist Information Office in Wrexham.