Covid-19 intervention measures that residents MUST follow remain in place in Blaenau Gwent. to help stop the spread of the virus any further.
The restrictions came into force from 6pm on Tuesday, 22nd September and failure to comply with the measures could lead to enforcement action being taken.
Please keep in mind that the purpose of the restrictions is to prevent the transmission of the virus, including to those we care about – both within the area and outside it.
People will need to make judgements for themselves about what is reasonable, in line with that overarching principle in order to keep themselves and their wider community safe.
The New Measures
• People will not be allowed to enter or leave Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council boundary area without a reasonable excuse;
• A 'reasonable excuse' includes going to work where you cannot work from home, attending a school or college outside of the area, or undertaking a caring responsibility e.g. childcare or caring for an elderly relative, attending a medical appointment, shopping for essential items that cannot be purchased locally or ordered online or using public services that are not available locally. It also includes leaving your local area to visit family or close friends on compassionate grounds if necessary.
• But the basic message is that people should stay in their immediate area as much as possible. You do not have a reasonable excuse to leave the area to do something if you could be reasonably expected to be able to do it within the area. This also works the other way around. Those living outside the area should NOT enter the County Borough on non-essential journeys it if at all possible.
• People will only be able to meet outdoors for the time being. People will not be able to meet members of their extended household indoors or form an extended household for the time being.
• People who live in the Blaenau Gwent County Borough area MUST work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.
• Indoor public venues, such as pubs, bars, restaurants, play centres, community centres, places of worship, leisure facilities and local attractions WILL remain open but these will only be accessible to those who live within Blaenau Gwent and you should only attend with members of your immediate household (people you live with). These venues will have an obligation to ensure that you do not mix with people not in your immediate household and will be asked to ensure that you that you remain apart.
• Masks or three-layer face coverings are now mandatory in Wales and MUST be appropriately worn in ALL indoor spaces and where social distancing can't be maintained, unless you have a valid or medical exemption for not doing so - view Welsh Government guidelines. We are also asking residents to volunteer to wear them in all busy outdoor public spaces – including high streets and outside school gates at pick-up and drop-off times.
• Schools, child care settings and colleges WILL remain open and home to school transport WILL continue to operate in accordance with the latest Public Health Wales guidance
• People should not visit care homes, unless it is an end of life visit where full PPE will be required.
• To reduce the likelihood of transmission from the hospitality industry, all licensed premises will be required to close at 10.00pm each evening and cannot open before 6am.
In addition to the above please continue to wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser and maintain social distancing (2 metres).
The new measures will be enforced by the Local Authority and Gwent Police, and kept under regular review. If the number of cases do not show signs of falling, further restrictions will be considered by Welsh Government.
Failure to comply with the measures set out above and in the relevant Welsh Government documents is a criminal offence and could result in enforcement action being taken by Council Enforcement Officers and Gwent Police to protect your fellow residents and help keep Blaenau Gwent and Wales safe.
For more information refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below.