The best news to come out of 2020 was about the two vaccines. It’s given us hope.
But even though the vaccination programme in the UK is gathering pace, it’ll take a long time to roll out and coronavirus won’t go down without a fight.
In fact, the virus is fighting hard. Cases are on the increase throughout the county borough, the NHS is feeling the pressure, and we all need to think carefully about how we welcome in the New Year.
Sadly, this is not the time to party. At least not with people outside our household.
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This year, we should only celebrate with the people we live with…and save the parties and get-togethers for better times.
If we want the vaccination programme to make an impact sooner rather than later, we all need to be socially responsible in the coming weeks and months.
We all need to do our bit.
What rules do we need to follow?
The Alert Level 4 restrictions introduced across Wales on December 19 are still in force.
This means we should:
- Only mix with people in our own household (both indoors and outdoors).
- Only travel for essential purposes, such as work, health reasons or caring duties.
Take a look at the Welsh Government website for more info.
Do the rules apply to New Year celebrations?
Yes. There are no exceptions for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
It’s hard, but we need to save the parties and get-togethers for when this is over.
Where is the virus in Wrexham?
Coronavirus is everywhere in the county borough, but if we all do the right thing and continue to stick to the rules, things should start to improve.
You can find statistics for Wrexham on the Public Health Wales website – including coronavirus levels in your local area (click on the tab that says ‘Cases by MSOA’ and use the ‘Local Authority’ drop-down box on the right to select ‘Wrexham’).
Why are levels higher in Wrexham?
Wrexham has the highest coronavirus levels in North Wales at the moment. So why is that?
There are several things that make Wrexham different to much of North Wales in terms of Covid-19, including:
- A large urban population.
- Large employers and workplaces.
- A prison.
- Lots of care homes.
- Lots of educational establishments (university, colleges, schools).
- A large hospital.
- Closer proximity to the North West of England, with its large population.
The main concern at the moment is transmission within the community – both within households and between households.
That’s why the message about not mixing with other households this New Year is so important. Like the rest of Wales, we need to slow the spread.
Care homes are another key factor, and these are subject to enhanced surveillance and mass testing.
At the moment, testing has identified several care homes with a significant number of cases, and these will contribute to the numbers seen in some parts of the county borough.
Will schools in Wrexham re-open next week?
At the moment, most schools in Wrexham are aiming to provide face-to-face learning for the majority of pupils from January 11, and all pupils from January 18.
This is in line with plans for the whole of Wales, and means some pupils will be learning from home during the first week or two of term.
Schools will keep parents and carers directly informed, so you should know exactly which days your child will be learning from home, and when they’ll return to the classroom for face-to-face learning.
Of course it’s always difficult to know what’s around the corner at the moment…but if anything changes, your school will let you know.
Reminder – recycling centres still open
Our recycling centres at Bryn Lane, Plas Madoc and Brymbo remain open.
You can attend Bryn Lane and Plas Madoc without an appointment, and you still need to book in advance for the Brymbo site (call 01978 801463).
Read this blog article for some useful tips before you visit.
Note that we’re also still collecting at the kerbside and will be back to normal from Monday.
Useful sources of information
- Welsh Government website – Alert Level 4 restrictions FAQs
- Public Health Wales website – daily statement
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