(Title Image: Bridgend Council)
Update: 02/11/2020 – From November 9th 2020, all local lockdowns in Wales will be lifted and replaced with a new series of all-Wales measures.
As you probably already know, Bridgend County has become one of the six local authorities in Wales placed into “local lockdown” by the Welsh Government – effective from 6 pm tomorrow (22nd September 2020).
Although there’s no specific detailed FAQ for Bridgend yet, it’s likely to be the same as measures in Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf – available here and what some of this is based off; if there are any big differences later, I’ll make changes.
Update: 22/09/2020 – Here’s the detailed FAQ from the Welsh Government. Update 23/09/2020: New national-level measures were introduced on top of the specific local lockdown measures mentioned below.
While not quite as strict as the lockdown earlier this year, what this means in practice is:
Nobody can enter or leave Bridgend County without a reasonable excuse – though you can travel through without stopping if there’s no suitable alternative route. You can be fined by the police for leaving/entering the county without a reasonable excuse.
The main “reasonable excuses” include work (if you can’t work from home), education (if you can’t learn from home), to move house, medical appointments out-of-county, moving children between parents who don’t live in the same household and compassionate reasons (i.e. to care/provide services for a vulnerable person, or to attend a wedding service or funeral service).
People from two different households and extended “bubbles” can no longer meet indoors or stay overnight. However, they can meet outdoors – such as in a garden – subject to social distancing.
All people over the age of 11 (unless medically exempt) need to wear a face-covering/face mask in indoor public spaces (i.e. shops, supermarkets) and on public transport – though this was already a Wales-wide requirement. Bridgend Council says that secondary school pupils will be required to wear facemasks/face coverings on home-school transport.
Licenced premises (pubs, restaurants which sell alcohol and clubs) will need to close from 10 pm-6 am. You’ll only be able visit licenced premises with members of the same household.
Indoor and outdoor visits to care homes have been suspended.
Childcare, schools and colleges will remain open. Though – as has already happened at some Bridgend schools – groups may be asked by their schools to stay home/self-isolate if there’s contact with someone with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Each place will have their own policy for on-site public health measures.
There’s a specific warning from Bridgend Council for people not to travel to Porthcawl for the cancelled Elvis Festival.
Other than that, it doesn’t appear as though council services (leisure centres, playgrounds, tips etc.) will see any changes from current arrangements (for now).
There’s no time limit to the new restrictions, although they’re expected to last until some point in October at least and the Welsh Government will keep them under review.
