Speech to Senedd 9 December RE COVID

Can I thank you for calling me, Deputy Presiding Officer? Whilst we cannot go back, allowing the Cheltenham Festival and Liverpool  versus Atlético Madrid to go ahead earlier this year was a very serious mistake by the Westminster Government, which in normal political times would have led to ministerial resignations. I’m going to quote from a peer-reviewed paper in The Lancet:454

‘Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 and is spread personto-person through close contact…. The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis support physical distancing of 1 m or more and provide quantitative estimates for models and contact tracing to inform policy. Optimum use of face masks…in public…should be informed by these findings and contextual factors.’455

The findings showed a reduction in risk of 82 per cent with a physical distance of 1m in both healthcare and community settings. Every additional metre of separation more than doubles the relative protection. This evidence is important to support community physical distancing guidelines and shows risk reduction is feasible by physical distancing.456

Basically, if everyone kept 2m distant, wore masks in shops and other areas where they came into possible contact with others, washed their hands and sanitised regularly, then substantial progress in eradicating this virus would be being made. If people self-isolated when told to, again, progress would be being made. We are seeing the opposite. The infection rate, especially among younger people, is increasing, and sadly, so is the death rate. Whilst some of the Conservatives will disagree with me, I believe every premature death caused by COVID is a tragedy. One of the difficulties of COVID-19 is it affects people differently, from having no symptoms at all to serious ill-health and death.457

Where do people gather in close proximity for a long period? Firstly, the workplace, and whilst the Welsh Government advises working from home if possible, not every employer is letting their staff do so. According to the Evening Post, there have been a large number of major infections with DVLA workers in Swansea. Some are going off sick with stress; they claim social distancing isn’t being followed at the site. The shared kitchen and bathroom areas are not being deep cleaned after a case is identified, but are just cleaned. Last month, there were more than 40 workers self-isolating at DVLA after colleagues tested positive for coronavirus. I had five people yesterday ring my office, many of them in tears, frightened about going into work and frightened about losing their job at the DVLA. This is a Government organisation, albeit not a Welsh Government organisation. If we cannot keep people safe in organisations that are run by Government, what hope have we got with the private sector?458

I have also received complaints from people working in call centres, haulage companies, and several manufacturing units, where people are working well within a metre, where masks are not being worn. This is putting people at risk. I really do feel for these people. As one woman said to me who rang yesterday, ‘I’ve got two choices: I can either lose my job or risk my life’. And I think that’s a very sad position we are putting people in, or allowing people to be put in.459

Secondly, schools. Who remembers when the scientific advice was under-11s could not get COVID? Schools certainly are having cases, including nursery and reception classes. Can I join with those asking that schools close a week earlier, if only to protect older relatives over Christmas?460

The third area is hospitality. That is the area the Government are closing, and I can understand why. But if the regulated sector—i.e. people drinking in pubs and clubs—is closed, what is going to be done about the unregulated gathering? How is that going to be stopped?461

The fourth area is on-street gatherings that mainly young people are partaking in. Many of these will be asymptomatic but have the ability to pass COVID on to others.462

I have a number of requests: close schools a week early; reopen pubs and restaurants as soon as possible, but any that breach safety are closed for at least a month; set maximum numbers for street gatherings and disperse larger numbers; work with the Westminster Government to force public sector workers to work from home if possible; work with the Health and Safety Executive to visit private-sector companies where concerns are being expressed; and finally, keep on promoting the 2m, hand washing and sanitising, and wearing a mask. You have to keep on doing that. When the Government stops saying it, people think they no longer have to do it. You cannot say that too often. Can I urge the Government to keep on getting that message across? Because there are people who haven’t heard it for a week or two weeks who now think that message has gone.463

We really are in a difficult position. I’ll be supporting the Government because they’re dealing with one of the causes of transmission, but please can we start dealing with the employment? Especially public sector office employment, where people are quite often literally half a metre apart.