Author: Rhys Gregory

Ceredigion County Council and partner organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the Cardigan area. Over the last week, there has been a significant number of cases and there is evidence through the work of the Contact Tracing Team that there is widespread community transmission. It is thought that a number of ‘super spreader’ events have led to this situation. Following a meeting of the Cardigan Incident Management Team held on Sunday, 22 November 2020, a decision has been made that the following schools will be closed from Monday, 23November 2020 and will…

Workplace expert, Acas, is offering a free to attend, 60-minute digital briefing, to help raise awareness of workplace rights and responsibilities in Wales. The event is part of a series of digital briefings that the Welsh Government is running as part of their ‘Rights and Responsibilities at Work’ campaign. The digital briefings will provide both employers and workers with a clear understanding of their employment rights and responsibilities. First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford said: “I am delighted Acas are offering additional expert briefings, free of charge, to workers and employers in Wales.  This is testament to our collaborative approach,…

Temporary ‘pods’ are being provided to care homes across Wales to better facilitate visits over Christmas and the winter months, the Health Minister is expected to announce today. The £3million pilot will cover the procurement, installation and lease of 100 units, with an initial 30 being installed and ready to use before Christmas. The semi-permanent units will be available for a period of 6 months, whilst longer-term solutions are sourced and put in place. This also includes £1million for plans to support providers who prefer to make their own arrangements on a similar basis. Expanding capacity within care homes will…

Bingo halls in the United Kingdom date back to 1961, following the Betting and Gaming Act 1960. More and more purpose-built halls were opening every year up until 2005. Wales was ahead of the trend though as the oldest bingo hall in the country dates back to 1909, in the town of Tonypandy, located in the county borough of Rhondda. Judges Bingo have been entertaining crowds in their hall for more than a century now and have earned the nickname the ‘Las Vegas of the Valleys’ locally. The hall itself is most well known for its entertaining bingo events, but…

Although not everyone wants to admit, gambling is among the popular entertainment activities in the United Kingdom. That’s understandable because no deposit bingo and other bonuses make playing online tempting. The legal age requirement for playing the lottery in the UK is 16, while you have to be 18 years old to play casino games.  Did you know that 47% of the 16+ population have participated in gambling activities in the last month? Even if we only count casino games, the statistics indicate 32% of the UK adult population gambled in the previous month. You can click here to learn…

Dog owners have been warned to keep their pets on leads on the South Pembrokeshire coastline after a substance believed to be palm oil was washed up. Deposits of the yellowish or white waxy substance have been reported on Manorbier, Tenby and Amroth beaches. Palm oil is not harmful to humans but can be fatal for pets – particularly dogs – if ingested. Pembrokeshire County Council was informed about the substance earlier last week (Thursday, 19th November) and the coastline is being monitored. By this afternoon, all affected beaches were reported as clear and no evidence of palm oil has…

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Head of Environmental Services and Public Protection, Richard Brown, is the Authority’s Interim Chief Executive. He was appointed last week (Friday, 20th November) at an Extraordinary meeting of the full Council. Mr Brown was on a shortlist for the final interview by Elected Members along with the Council’s Director of Social Services and Housing, Jonathan Griffiths. Mr Brown will be in post while the Council continues with the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Executive. The current Chief Executive, Mr Ian Westley, leaves at the end of this month. Mr Brown has a career in Public Protection…

Ahead of the UK Government’s Spending Review statement, Welsh Government is urging the Chancellor to rule out a public sector pay freeze and deliver the funding Wales needs to protect our health, jobs and support a fair recovery. Finance Minister, Rebecca Evans has called on the Chancellor to use the UK Treasury’s levers to stand by the frontline workers who have sacrificed so much this year. Workers across the NHS, schools, colleges and local councils all continue to play a critical role in the midst of a global pandemic to help save lives and keep services running. They should be…

South Wales Police is investigating a large disturbance which occurred in Cardiff city centre on Saturday night (November 21). Multiple reports of a violent incident on Queen Street were received at around 9.50pm. Six people have subsequently been taken to, or self-presented at, the University Hospital of Wales with various injuries. One person suffered head injuries and remains in a serious condition, while three others are believed to have sustained stab wounds. Two others have presented at hospital with lesser injuries. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and are currently in custody in Cardiff Bay. An…

A leading Welsh doctor has thanked GPs and their staff for the role they have played so far in keeping the public safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Phil White, Chair of the BMA’s Welsh General Practitioners Committee, thanked GPs for their continued dedication to their local communities and how rapidly the profession reacted early on, whilst maintaining a high quality service.” He added that “without [GPs], the health of the nation would have massively worsened.” Dr White noted that while the profession is resilient, GPs are “now dealing with more patients in a day than we did a year…