Community-level Covid-19 data “too volatile to be completely reliable”
With increase talk about a potential national lockdown on the horizon, Leader of the Opposition, Paul Davies MS (Con, Preseli Pembs.) suggested this meant the Welsh Government’s lockdown approach had been a failure.
When the First Minister countered that it was no more a failure than the three-tier system in England, there was a largely pointless discussion about whether Wales or England was failing the most. Then it moved to a question of substance on the publication of council ward-level data on virus cases.
“….some counties have chosen to publish community data themselves….and that transparency is crucial. It’s only fair that everyone in Wales should have access to data about their local community. So, First Minister, will you now commit to leading on this by publishing data on a community basis….so that the people of Wales can be confident that current lockdown measures are proportionate to the threat of the virus in their own areas?”
– Leader of the Opposition, Paul Davies
The First Minister agreed that the publication of ward-level (and lower) data has been “a very useful guide”. The Welsh Government publishes lots of data every day on Covid-19, but he didn’t want to publish any data “that is so volatile that it’s impossible to draw sensible and reliable conclusions from it”.
Arguments in favour of a national lockdown “being taken seriously”
Focusing on the reasons why scientific advice favouring a “circuit breaker” lockdown (effectively a two-week lockdown similar to that in March/April) has seemingly been ignored, Adam Price MS (Plaid, Carms. E. & Dinefwr) repeated what UK Labour figures have said about the urgent need for national action to stem the second wave of Covid-19.
That includes restricting travel into Wales from areas in England with high numbers of cases.
The First Minister was unequivocal that if the number of cases of the virus and hospitalisations increases at the current rate then new measures would be needed, including the possibility of a “circuit breaker” lockdown.
“I take the arguments in favour of a ‘circuit-breaker’ period seriously, and in the COBRA meeting yesterday, I asked the Prime Minister for an extra-special COBRA meeting specifically to discuss the circuit-breaker idea. I think that it’s an idea that will need further examination, and needs to be shared in perspectives between the four UK nations.”
– First Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West)
Taking exception somewhat with how Adam Price portrayed travel as an England-Wales issue, the First Minister said it would be right for everyone in the UK to be subject to travel restrictions to and from areas with high numbers of cases.
