Completed petition Stop applying the same Covid 19 restrictions across the whole of Wales
Covid 19 infection rates vary widely across Wales. Some areas have amongst the highest rates in the UK, some have amongst the lowest. The areas with the highest and lowest rates are often many miles apart. Covid 19 restrictions are causing immense economic harm, rising unemployment and widespread business closures. When rates are very high, tough restrictions may be the only way to control spread of infection, but when rates are low the economic and health damage is disproportionately high.
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Most businesses in the rural areas of Wales where infection rates tend to be low are very fragile and any further restrictions affecting their ability to trade will force many more to close permanently. This will have a devastating impact on areas where unemployment is already high and wages lower than the national average, forcing many people of working age to leave rural areas often for good. The adverse effects on people’s health of the restrictions are recognised as a major contributor to the large number of excess deaths happening during the pandemic not resulting from coronavirus infection.
The only way to minimise the economic and health damage caused by Covid 19 restrictions while controlling infection rates in areas with high rates is to use a tiered approach as has been done consistently and successfully in Scotland and England.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
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