Wales is being put into a ‘firebreak’ lockdown on Friday. The Welsh Government has announced stricter rules for two weeks to try and bring down Covid-19 figures in the country. Here at theSprout we’re breaking down the details for you.
When is it?
The firebreak will start at 6pm on Friday 23 October until 9th November, a little over two weeks.
What is a firebreak?
A firebreak is a sharp and deep short lockdown to limit the contact between people, which is needed to slow the spread of the virus. If figures continue to grow as they are then the NHS will reach a point where they can’t cope anymore so this drastic measure is being taken to try and get some control of the figures so we don’t have to go into a longer lockdown like we did in March.
What rules apply to me?
The rules state that you can’t meet up with anybody, indoors or outdoors, if you don’t live with them. No trick or treating and no public firework displays this year 🙁
The first week will be half term. During the second week, if you’re in year 7 or 8 then you’ll be going back to school. Years 9+, college students, apprentices and trainees will be learning from home for a week. University students will be having a mixture of online and face-to-face learning.
If you work, you must do this from home, unless you’re a key worker or you can’t work from home.
Am I allowed to go out at all?
Yes. You can go out to exercise as much as you want. But you must do this alone or with other people you live with. You can’t arrange to meet up with friends outside.
People can go out for essential supplies and get medicine. You can also leave your house if you’re a victim of domestic abuse.
Those living alone and single parents are allowed to bubble with another family. You can also care for a vulnerable person by doing their shopping or getting their medicine for them.
If you’re homeless your local authority should find you emergency accommodation. Contact Shelter Cymru if you need advice and help.
Why should I bother?
If figures continue to go up as they are then the Government is likely to have to put the country into another longer and stricter lockdown. This ‘firebreak’ attempts to keep the tide back for a while so that doesn’t happen. The more people that stick to these rules, the more successful it will be, so it needs everybody to play their part.
Yes, this is all very frustrating, and most of us are fed up with the situation, but the reality is that Covid-19 is still here. If the NHS is swamped then they won’t be able to treat people and sadly this means that more people will die from the virus, and other illnesses that may not be treated because the hospitals are too busy. Yes this is shocking and scary, but that’s the reality. By playing our part we can help avoid this situation.
We shouldn’t need to rely on the police to make sure people follow the rules, we should ask ourselves why this is necessary and what we can do to make this Firebreak a success.
Get help
This is hard for us all, but some of you may be struggling more than others. There are services out there that can help:
Meic – A helpline for young people up to 25 in Wales who can listen, offer advice and put you in touch with services that can help.
Freephone: 080880 23456
Text: 84001
Chat Online: www.meic.cymru
The Samaritans – The Samaritans can help if you feel like things are too much. They are free to contact and are open 24 hours a day. They also have a self-help app that you might find useful.
Call: 116 123 (English line) or 0808 1640123 (Welsh Language line 7pm-11pm)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Live Fear Free Helpline – If you, a family member a friend, or someone you are concerned about has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for free advice and support or to talk through your options.
Call: 0808 80 10 800
Text: 07860077333
Email: info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
Online chat: https://gov.wales/live-fear-free/contact-live-fear-free
