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Bit gutted I can’t (shouldn’t) drive to Brechfa/Nant Yr arian, but what’s 17 days in a lifetime!?
I'd agree if it wasn't for the slightly worrying tag line of "new regulations" post firebreak, I like Drakeford, but he's still a Politician, there's nothing stopping him imposing new regulations on the 9th that are remarkably close to what we have now.
Bit gutted I can’t (shouldn’t) drive to Brechfa/Nant Yr arian, but what’s 17 days in a lifetime
Brechfa's closed...has been since before original lockdown
Off work for 2 weeks kids at home this week, went out for a ride on the bikes from home today. Bike/footpath were very busy with people walking and riding, but weather forecast better for today than rest of the week so everyone had the same idea probably, most will have been straight from their houses on the route we took but there was still a few cars parked in the usual spot.
I don't even understand why most people I see drive to that spot live within a mile of it yet drive there to walk their dog...
So the rationale for a circuit break here is
Whilst you have low numbers, you want to keep low numbers. You also have fewer facilities remember.
And if your facilities aren't overwhelmed, you might need to take patients from places that are.
Was up round Castell Coch and a few other places playing in the mud today, enjoyed it apart from when I forgot I still have a heavily worn Aggressor on the rear at one point and did a lovely 180 while sliding backwards into a bush! New tyres need to be fitted before the next ride.
Still loads of people driving to the car parks in the woods, usually with a dog and meeting others there. Van Road was very busy with kids on the dirt jumps, probably 30 or so with no social distancing to be seen. Doesn't feel like a lockdown at all if I'm honest.
Given the number of people visible surfing in the webcams, the ‘we would rather you didn’t do water sports’ is being ignored this time. Personally I don’t understand why WG single out water sports, statistically much less risky than many other sports and this time of year the lifeguard excuse doesn’t really work as post half term there wouldn’t be any normally. Agree with the above poster, I do not believe for a second this will be just for two weeks, they are already suggesting it will be more in full lockdown.
Plenty of people driving by me.
Personally I don’t understand why WG single out water sports
They haven't. They didn't say 'don't do water sports' they said 'don't do anything risky'.
Personally I don’t understand why WG single out water sports, statistically much less risky than many other sports
+1
Brechfa’s closed…has been since before original lockdown
I thought Abergorlech trail was open?
I thought Abergorlech trail was open?
It wasn't last time I checked the website
Given the number of people visible surfing in the webcams, the ‘we would rather you didn’t do water sports’ is being ignored this time
Yes I agree...also ignoring the "you must not drive to exercise" rule
@molgrips - but why single that out rather than something riskier such as climbing, off-road cycling, horse-riding etc? It just seems strange to single out a relatively safe minority branch of sports
Because it was the first thing that came into the copy writers head? Because it's a major cause of callouts? Doesn't seem like a big deal to me, when you focus on the actual message which is "keep risk to a minimum". Or 'No Gnar' if you like.
In the minority here, I actually think the full lockdown is a good idea. It can kill off a lot of infected areas and if strictly observed, has the potential to drastically reduce transmission.
Remember, after a few days, the virus will have decayed on most surfaces. What we need to do is then follow that up with targeted elimination of known cases. It goes without saying, there can be NO movement in or out at all.
See New Zealand for more details.
I'm all for the short lockdown, it could buy us enough headroom in hospitals to allow us to have some semblance of a christmas. The big issue as I see it is the majority seem to be ignoring a lot of the rules. There's 3 families with their kids in one of the gardens near me right now, seen plenty of people driving across Cardiff to go walk in the woods despite every area of Cardiff having a decent park and plenty of groups who have obviously arranged to meet.
I thought Abergorlech trail was open?
Abergorlech car park is and 3/4 of the Gorlech trail is available according to the Ranger's facebook. It does say it's for local use only as travelling to the car park is forbidden. Seems busy going by Strava though.
WG haven't 'singled out' water sports. They have just used it as an example of an activity that involves a significant degree of risk.
I agree with @finephilly. The lockdown is about reducing transmission and avoiding overloading the NHS. However, there are still so many covidiots out there that I worry it will have only a marginal effect.
Personally I don’t understand why WG single out water sports, statistically much less risky than many other sports
Tell that to the surfer who was helicoptered off Langland beach yesterday with neck injury
Yes that was unlucky (experienced local surfer) and from the aspect of lockdown bad timing, but it was a freak accident and statistically surfing is very safe. Personally I’ve needed medical attention once in 30 years of surfing compared to several from cycling for example.
@molgrips @dove1 the point is they have singled it out. I live walking distance from the beach but won’t surf because you get vigilantees shouting at you or putting it on community Facebook pages. I didn’t surf last lockdown and am unlikely too this time, but it is frustrating given the benefit it has to my well-being.
I’m happy we are having this lockdown but as above, it’s useless unless we shut our borders until the second wave has passed next spring
Some details emerging from WAG today about the new, new normal post Firebreak.
Shops and Gyms will reopen, as will places of Worship. Perhaps slightly cryptically Bars and Restaurants "will serve customers", I'm sure they mean "open", but I suppose that gives them some scope to say they can offer take away services, which will probably kill them off in their dozens a week.
Half-term will have passed, so I'm hoping they'll allow inter-county travel again.
I live walking distance from the beach but won’t surf
same. didn't last time, won't this time, tho I do feel I'm in a minority this time
I heard from a mate that there was well over 30 people out today at a certain sheltered right that everyone would have had to drive too.... including people who had taken holiday to surf. No pretence to hide it either as I see plenty of photos on social media.
If it was sunny, light northerlies and a long period sw swell I might think differently but I can pass up crowded windy dross quite happily...
I have to say I'm starting to question whether I'm going to stick to the "no driving to exercise" rule, looking at the windsurfing forecast for the weekend - no-one else seems to be 🙁
No, and it’s not like you can just say it’s only irresponsible young surfers breaking rules. I had to do some essential travel this morning and drove by a few car-parks on the way back.
Plenty of cars in all of them with people getting kitted out for a blustery walk.
Disregarding the social media forthing about busy car parks, I severely doubt driving to exercise would have any measureable impact on the spread of the virus.
Only thing is, if that's the only thing people are allowed to do - then EVERYONE does it at the same time and there's traffic gridlock at all the beauty spots.
@chakaping - I completely agree. I do not for a second believe it makes any difference to transmission. Equally, given the weather, beauty spots aren’t going to get overcrowded. For both these reasons I think it’s a silly rule.. but it is the rule.
I don’t have an issue with people breaking it either (minor FOMO aside), just it’s quite interesting the stark difference from last lockdown in terms of compliance
I do not for a second believe it makes any difference to transmission. Equally, given the weather, beauty spots aren’t going to get overcrowded. For both these reasons I think it’s a silly rule.. but it is the rule.
Then why are there queues to get into some FC car parks above Cardiff due to multiple households driving there to meet up? The police have been around to my local park and sent people away from the car park there (Parc Tredelerch) after reports of people meeting their family there and other reports of a complete lack of social distancing. Why they haven't locked all the car parks is a mystery to me, it would stop the piss-takers making a bee-line for the hotspots and anyone who needs to drive there due to a disability can park on the access road and use a blue badge.
It's properly pissing me off all these rule-breakers but I refuse to join them as I would love to be able to have a christmas with my family and if that's not allowed I don't want to feel like I could have done more to make it happen.
We are in Tier 3 here in Greater Manchester - so people can drive to exercise but quite a few facilities are shut.
The sun came out on Sunday and it was mental busy at the local beauty spot, like when they first allowed us to drive again.
But they can't just rule against going to popular places when it's sunny, so I guess it has to be one-size-fits-all and otherwise harmless activity gets banned.
Anecdotally driving to work (i cant work from home i'm a hospital Doc) seems about as busy as usual, During the first lockdown it was dead. Loads of people seem to be using the carparks too. I strongly suspect that this 'lockdown' will continue to knacker the economy without making very much difference to the virus transmission due to poor compliance. People are fed up, rightly or wrongly.
Chester recycling centre was full and long queues today its been reported as welsh residents cross the border to dump all their nearly new stuff because their tip sites are closed for 2 weeks plus.
But looking at the welsh traffic cams at various times in last few days there seem to be very few LGV,S few small vans but quite a lot of cars, exercising.
This is why we are doing it:
I can't see the point of locking down Powys for instance. It has a very low incidence and folks are naturally distancing. Hardly anyone lives there.
Except there are no major hospitals in Powys. Anyone needing hospital care will be sent out of County. Very little infrastructure to deal with an outbreak if it occurred. Lots of visitors from areas outside too because 'there's no one there'.
It didn't spread much here last spring or at any point including now.There were several isolated clusters but they were dealt with. If old Dyfed Anglesey and Powys were grouped together as the nation of Wales then the welsh government wouldn't have announced a lockdown given the very few cases there have been. By all means tell folks not to leave high incidence areas but the rural areas are being lumped in with the Valleys and Liverpool overflow. Flint's full of Scousers. Powys MPs and Councillors are hopping mad.
I'm in Carmarthenshire. I work with a very large group of people, two of whom have tested positive. The identity of one has not been made known but I trust my boss when he tells me that he is 100% certain that there has been no contact between that person and anyone else.
The other I have worked with but not closely. It was very thought provoking when the email arrived.
Despite Llanelli being 'removed' from the rest of Carmarthenshire the infection rates in 'greater' Carmarthenshire continue to rise. It's a bit horrible tbh. I'm lucky, I have a nice house, a big garden and the BBNP starts less than a mile away. It's going to be a really hard time for a lot of people but I really, truly and honestly believe that a massive reduction in movement can and should lead to a similar reduction in rates of infection.
There will always be selfish idiots in this world who feel that they do not need to follow rules that they don't like. People who feel that by questioning what they don't like because they don't understand it/ don't like it/ don't like the politician/ method/ whatever... ...they feel that they are thus entitled to do what they want, despite best-informed scientific advice.
But the best-informed scientific advice is that it doesn’t transmit easily outside so long as you maintain social distancing. They could have put the 7 mile restriction in, or maintained the don’t leave your area rule and given people flexibility without increasing risk.
From the 9th Wales are reopening businesses that do increase transmission. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
However I think what will happen is Boris will finally wake up to the need for a National lockdown a week or so after the welsh firebreak is over and we’ll be back in.
I’m following the rules and understand the need for them but I do find the approach slightly non-sensical. Also things will be so much worse in the new year when we have combined COVID and brexit it would be nice not to spend the entire time till then completely restricted
Whole Gorlech trail at Brechfa is open, for the record.
good to know
I’m following the rules and understand the need for them but I do find the approach slightly non-sensical.
It's a plan made under pressure and on the hoof, with shifting information in a constantly changing situation. So yeah it's not always going to be perfect. So let's pull together do our best and press on. Only one more week.
It’s a plan made under pressure and on the hoof, with shifting information in a constantly changing situation. So yeah it’s not always going to be perfect. So let’s pull together do our best and press on. Only one more week.
It might be pedantic, but our "2 week" lockdown is actually 16 days. There's 9 days to go.
That said, I don't miss the pub, or the shops and certainly not the traffic, my stress comes from the impact on work/economy.
That said, there's some indication that local restrictions will end, at least initially meaning I can go back to being a Trail Centre Pussy. Happy Days.
It’s a plan made under pressure and on the hoof, with shifting information in a constantly changing situation.
It's not constantly shifting - it was predicted many months ago that cases would increase in the autumn and winter. It's also not difficult to say what the plan is - what the aim of the circuit break is. The WA can't just make it up the day before, based on the figures for the previous few days. They must have a plan, and if they do then why not make it public? (eg if the circuit break achieves X, then we can open up this over here, but if it achieves Y then we'll need those companies there to stay shut.) But everything they do is reactive and chaotic, and therefore ineffective in persuading us to 'pull together' and in reducing the spread.
I do find the approach slightly non-sensical.
A ride I did with some of the Pigs the other weekend technically made me a criminal because I strayed 800m into NPT. A few weeks before it was absolutely fine. This week it's fine as long as we do it solo. In two weeks, who know?
So once we come out of this Firebreak there will be No more local lockdowns. Seems sensible to me as presumably that means it'll be like we have now or 'freedom' to move about. Bets on another 2 weeks in December so we can hopefully see family over christmas?
Almost a certainty I think
I think what he means is that (for example) N Wales will be treated the same as S Wales - the rules will be national.
I doubt there's going to be more freedom of movement at all - you'll simply all be under the same restrictions whatever they are and whenever they're imposed.
Agree Sharkbait, he still needs to protect areas with little cases.
I wonder though if we are going to find ourselves caught up in a uk lockdown as soon as we end ours or whether WG will argue for keeping England and Wales separate?
I’m guessing bojo will take half of this week to plan and then let everyone have a final weekend so it might be a case of one finishing as the other starts<\del>
edit. see it may be ass soon as Monday and only England..
I live in Englandshire, but currently building a solar farm in Newport.
I'm allowed to move freely, as I have an essential worker status (energy sector).
I completely forgot I was in Wales the other day, went to a retail park and stood outside JD Sports, wondering why the doors wouldn't open, until I saw the notice on the doors - stupidly, also did the same at McDonalds until a lovely little Welsh girl came out and told me it was takeaway only. She will have heard my English accent and probably thought 'you f'ing English tit'
Now planning how I'm going to stay away from home all week when we drop back into full lockdown in England - currently staying in Worcestershire, building another solar farm