The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has called for a “UK-wide exit strategy” as part of any plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown.
Welsh Government is expected to reveal a framework today (Friday, April 24) outlining the exit strategy in Wales.
Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, the First Minister said the framework would “set out a series of tests that we would need to apply against any ideas for easing the current restrictions.”
Mr Drakeford said: “It will talk about how we are committed to using international evidence from countries who have moved beyond lockdown already, and it will set out the way in which we plan to have a surveillance programme in the community – a test, track, isolate approach.
“As soon as we begin to lift the restrictions, the risk will be the virus will start to circulate again and we have to be on top of that quickly and effectively so we don’t just end up back with another mass outbreak.”
The Scottish Government published its report into lifting the restrictions on Thursday (April 23).
Meanwhile, Mr Drakeford criticised the UK Government for its “tendency to keep its cards too close to its own chest and then late in the day revealing their thinking to other governments”.
He said: “We can’t plan for coming out of lockdown in that way, so we’ve got to find better mechanisms to come together.”
However, the Welsh Labour leader said he was “very confident” the lockdown has been successful.
He said: “The rate of transmissions in the community have been very effectively suppressed. It’s now below the level where one person who gets it infects one other person, and once you’re below that it means the amount of disease circulating is declining.
“I’m confident of that because you see the impact in the number of people being admitted to hospital for coronavirus, which is going down, and the number of people needing critical care, which is also going down.”
Mr Drakeford, who became First Minister in 2018, described the ongoing situation as “an economic crisis, as well as a health crisis”, and said the economy should be opened up in a way that gives workers “the confidence that it is safe to return to work”.
He also said Welsh Government would consult with trade unions about people returning to a safe work environment, and called for a “gradual and careful reopening of the economy”.
Meanwhile, Mr Drakeford said health secretary Vaughan Gething “will be continuing to do the vitally important work he is discharging”, despite calls from Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price for his resignation.
It comes after Mr Gething, not realising his microphone was still turned on, was caught swearing about a fellow-Labour AM during an online Assembly meeting.
The First Minister said Mr Gething is needed to “help Wales get through this crisis”.