Communities thanked for health crisis response

The partners who together form the Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum here in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Powys want to pay tribute and sincerely thank our communities and those living and working in the area for their cooperation and support over the Easter bank holiday by heeding the Government legislation to stay home, which in turn protects the NHS and saves lives.

We know how hard it was, and the sacrifices everyone made, especially as the weather was glorious – but the single most important action we can all take currently to stop the infection spreading is to stay at home, and the vast majority did just that.  

We normally see an influx of visitors to our many tourist attractions and beauty spots at this time of year – which includes those living in the area, as well as those living elsewhere. But it was evident that footfall at these types of locations was markedly reduced from what we would normally expect, and the number of people who were out and about on the weekend was minimal. This demonstrated that the vast majority of the public were complying with the new legislation and adapting to the new world we find ourselves in – so thank you very much.

We don’t underestimate how extraordinary and difficult  this new way of living is, but every person in Wales must comply with the new measures introduced by the Welsh Government. And the relevant authorities, including the police and local authorities, have been given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings. Unfortunately a small minority did breach the restrictions and 123 fines were issued by the police to those who deliberately flouted the legislation. But through Dyfed-Powys Police’s Operation Dovecote, they provided a visible presence on our roads during the weekend, and checked on people’s movements to reassure our communities and the vast majority that did comply, as this causes serious concern during this health crisis.

The agencies of the Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum have taken a multi-agency coordinated approach to the crisis, and are working together to serve in the best interests of our communities. It is so encouraging and pleasing to see our key workers, volunteers and communities rising to this challenge – and we should all be proud of this response.

We now need to keep up the good work, and it is important that we all continue to follow these measures and promote the message that travel is currently only permitted in line with the strict criteria set out in the new legislation. The Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum will continue to work with our communities to navigate our way through this difficult period.

Thank you, on behalf of Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum:

Chief Executive Hywel Dda University Health Board Steve Moore

Chief Executive Powys Teaching Health Board Carol Shillabeer

Chief Executive Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust Jason Killens

Assistant Chief Constable Dyfed-Powys Police Peter Roderick

Chief Executive Carmarthenshire County Council Wendy Walters

Chief Executive Ceredigion County Council Eifion Evans

Chief Executive Pembrokeshire County Council Ian Westley

Chief Executive Powys County Council Dr Caroline Turner

Chief Fire Officer Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Chris Davies QFSM