Covid: North Wales lockdown travel rules ‘disproportionate’

Travel restrictions for North Wales are disproportionate, say Tory MPs and senators from the region.

They have urged Welsh ministers to reconsider the lockdown in four council areas due to take effect at 18:00 on Thursday.

James Davis, an MP from Claude’s Wells, said the changes were unwise and called for more targeted action.

The Welsh government said local sanctions would be kept under review.

Under the ban, people will not be able to leave or enter Conway, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Rexham without a “reasonable excuse”.

This may include work, if you cannot work from home, and for education, but not tourism.

The sanctions are the same as those imposed in most South Wales.

Earlier, a Flintshire council leader said people ignoring coronavirus rules by socializing people’s homes were the reason behind the increase in cases seen there.

First Secretary Mark Drackford said in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the travel ban was “the primary purpose of limiting the spread of the virus.”

He called for the introduction of similarly dangerous sanctions in England as an important step in mitigating the risks we would face collectively.

Conservative MPs from all of North Wales and members of the Senate (MS) in a joint statement accused the Welsh government of imposing a “disproportionate” travel ban, with “limited evidence” that either travel or tourism increases transit rates.

“For this reason, travel bans have not been introduced for local lockdowns in England in general.”

“We strongly urge you to reconsider the scope of the sanctions, taking into account the devastating impact of travel restrictions on the well-being and livelihoods of local people and the commitment to regularly review measures.”

Claude Ed Conservative MP James Davis’s Vale said after Tuesday’s announcement he had “an awful amount of negativity – people who don’t trust, and I think it’s so important that the Welsh government and the UK government can provide and show data.” That measures are proportional “. .

He cited data released by the Welsh government as “possibly based on locations rather than urgently closing entire counties”.

At the case level in Denbighshire “there was really a slight decrease last week”, he said: “In particular to bring in restrictions on travel restrictions that are associated with all business-related effects.”

Clyde West Conservative MP David Jones said he has heard from operating tourism businesses who have been waiting half a term and will welcome guests who can no longer do so.

He said sanctions have been imposed in Senedad “without any discussion”.

“Now is the time for both politicians in Cardiff and Westminster to discuss this before imposing sanctions,” he said.

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‘Feelings of irrationality’

On the same day, Dwifor Mirioninid Plaid Camaru MP Liz Seville Roberts urged Boris Johnson to stop “leisure travel from local lockdown areas”.

Speaking on the Prime Minister’s questions, he said people from England’s local lockdown areas can travel to Wales, but under similar restrictions Wales people cannot travel outside their territory without good reason.

The prime minister said there would be some “seeming irrationality” of various measures but “it is inevitable in tackling the epidemic”.

He added: “The UK as a whole is moving in the same direction and I am very grateful to Mark Dreckford and everyone else in the Welsh government for the way we are working together to defeat the virus.”

Reacting to the Conservative statement, a Welsh government spokesman said: “Rapid action has been taken due to the rapid rise in new cases in North Wales.

“Local sanctions will be kept under regular review.

“We all have to participate to reduce the spread of the virus and it is important that we all continue to follow the guidelines.”