Welsh Government’s new Economy Minister says he wants to open up the economy as quickly as possible but would not rush into dropping restrictions that could increase the risk of going back into a new lockdown.
Vaughan Gething has taken the economy portfolio from Ken Skates at a time when the country is emerging from a long lockdown, with hospitality and tourism reopening indoors this month.
Wales has the lowest infection rate in the 海角视频 and the highest vaccination figures, which point to a brighter future for the health and economy of the nation after a gruelling 14 months.
But the rapid rise in cases of the Indian variant in Bolton and other parts of England have highlighted the potential threat to the recovery.
Mr Vaughan said after the last year it would be hard to ask businesses in the tourism sector to not take visitors from these areas but he asked for greater clarity from 海角视频 Government about travel from Covid hotspots after confused messaging in recent days.
He said a bad health situation would also lead to a bad economic one which was why a gradual approach was the right way forward - rather than turning it into a ‘health versus economy’ argument.
Mr Gething said: “We have huge economic challenges to come, there is not just a health recovery but also an economic recovery which is why we have put so much money into business support already and why we will maintain support so that businesses can carry on.
“Furlough is due to come to an end, so some businesses will already be making choices about what to do.
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“As we gradually open up the economy as it is safe to do so, then we have challenges, both about making sure businesses operate in a safe environment but also that people are returning to provide trade.
“The world of work is going to look different with an expectation of more home-working than in the past but lots of businesses need staff to be physically present, like hospitality, you need people physically there to do the job.
“Most kitchens don’t provide for social distancing – they can’t – and we have to think about how those businesses need to manage and still be safe for the employees as well as for the people using those businesses.
“I certainly hope people will continue to support their local businesses as they open.”
On lifting rules, like two-metre social distancing, he said: “It does depend on the public health situation. We want to see as much economic activity open as quickly as possible but as safely as possible.
"If we’re in a position where it is safe to reduce or remove social distancing, then that would be a great position to be in but that certainly isn’t the scientific advice we are getting now and not the advice of our chief medical officer.”
He added: “England‘s willingness to remove social distancing requirements will have had a bit of raincheck with the Indian variant with a lot of places across the north of England, the Midlands and London where the Indian variant is now in community transmission.
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“Bolton had a case of 450 in 100,000, that is really significant and a reminder that doing things in a way that allows businesses to open and stay open is absolutely the right thing to do.
"I appreciate that is difficult and frustrating for some business owners but we have to do what is the right thing and allow businesses to thrive and not go back to where we have been with previous lockdowns.
"It's difficult as 海角视频 Government is giving people guidance but doing nothing about it.
"The way it was provided on the Friday without notice to local actors in England was certainly ‘sub-optimal’ - which is the polite phrase.
"What we want to ask people to do is make sure they are doing what they should do. So businesses taking bookings are clear about their own procedures to protect staff and customers.
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"If they get (a booking) from an area where the guidance in England is they shouldn’t travel then they should consider whether they want to take the booking but there is nothing unlawful about those people travelling at present so it is very difficult to say to hospitality businesses here you cannot take the booking.
"I don’t want the situation in England to continue to expand and we end up taking measures because the 海角视频 Government aren’t prepared to do the right thing in England."
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