30 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Ceredigion, according to data released this afternoon by Public Health Wales.
This is the biggest jump in daily figures since early November when 46 were recorded in a single day following an outbreak at the Hafan y Waun care home in Aberystwyth.
These new cases today take Ceredigion’s total number of Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began to 651, which is still the lowest for a county in Wales.
Around half of those cases however have been recorded in the past month.
Elsewhere, Carmarthenshire has recorded 86 new cases today and Pembrokeshire has recorded 41.
Powys has recorded 17 new cases today and Gwynedd has recorded nine.
Coronavirus cases in rural Ceredigion has led to the closure of Dihewyd and Ysgol Ciliau Parc in Ciliau Aeron, which council officials announced today will remain closed until 17 December as self-isolation meant that the school did not have enough staff.
With an alcohol ban and 6pm closing time coming into effect for pubs, bars and restaurants in Wales today, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP, Liz Saville Roberts, who said the plan ‘lacked logic’ earlier this week, is inviting pub landlords in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd to a meeting to discuss concerns surrounding Welsh government restrictions prohibiting the sale of alcohol in pubs.
The meeting will take place over Zoom on Wednesday, 9 December.
Mrs Saville Roberts said: ‘There has been an understandable backlash to these new restrictions from the hospitality industry and there is now a real risk of public trust being further eroded because people cannot comprehend the logic.
“Public trust in policy depends largely on a clearly communicated logic. I fear that banning alcohol completely could have the opposite intended consequence of driving people to socialise at home.
’Security and safety in a well-run Welsh pub is going to be lower risk than people congregating in households with no regulating of alcohol consumption.
‘We have to maintain a sensible balance in terms of allowing people to work and live. Penalising the hospitality trade – pubs, restaurants and cafés – after a terrible year will send many to the wall.”
Giving the daily statement, Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “New Welsh Government restrictions come into force at 6pm today, covering travel and the hospitality sector.
“People living in Wales cannot travel to areas of England in tier three or areas of Scotland in level three or above. In these circumstances, travel out of Wales is only allowed under limited circumstances, such as for work or education.
“People you don’t live with cannot come into your home, unless you have formed an extended household (or “bubble”) with them (except in very limited circumstances).
“Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes will need to close at 6pm apart from takeaway services and will not be able to serve alcohol.
“Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, bingo halls, soft play centres and bowling alleys must close from the same date, as must indoor visitor attractions such as museums, galleries and heritage sites.”
