Author: Rhys Gregory

A landmark scheme to provide frontline workers in Cardiff with free use of the city’s nextbike scheme has been extended for another month thanks to support from Cardiff University. Nextbike and Cardiff University have match-funded the continuation of the scheme to enable NHS workers and those offering critical support during the coronavirus pandemic to use the bikes for free in June. It follows similar rollouts in Glasgow, Stirling and Hillingdon in London, where free memberships have been offered to key workers who are still having to travel to and from work during the pandemic. Nextbike MD Krysia Solheim thanked the…

WELSH rugby international Ellis Jenkins has come up with a challenge that will raise funds for a Cardiff charity, providing fun and fitness to the sporting public whilst possibly driving them nuts! The Cardiff Blues flanker is an ambassador for City Hospice, the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in the capital. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all of the charity’s fundraising events have been cancelled, leading Ellis to come up with the idea of the 2020 Keep Up Challenge. Whereas almost everyone has tried doing keepie-uppies with a football, few have ever tried doing it with a rugby…

Employers who intend to furlough an employee for the first time must have done so by 10 June. At the end of May, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak introduced improved flexibility to bring furloughed employees back part time in July. The Chancellor also set out more details on how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will continue to support jobs and business as people return to work, following the announcement of an extension of the scheme on 12 May. So far, the CJRS has helped 1 million employers across the UK furlough 8.4 million jobs, protecting people’s livelihoods. From 1 July 2020, businesses will…

“To help reduce the spread of coronavirus, since March we have scaled-back normal NHS dentistry services to help protect the public, dental teams and our local communities. “Many dental procedures, such as fillings or scaling, use high-speed drills and other tools which are “aerosol generating” – this means they create spray. This, in the current pandemic, could risk spreading the virus and that’s why we’ve asked dentists to stop routine activity for the time being. “However, dentists in Wales have remained open for urgent care throughout the lockdown. They have seen 10,000 people in practices and provided 125,000 consultations remotely,…

Creating one-way walking systems to safeguard the public, setting up welcome points to explain how moving round the city centre will work and opening up Cardiff Castle’s grounds to create a ‘new’ public square for local businesses to use are just some of the schemes Cardiff Council is considering as it prepares to exit lockdown. A detailed plan of action has been published by the council which outlines a raft of innovative measures with the aim of making Cardiff one of the ‘safest’ cities in the UK as life begins its return to ‘normal’. The plan has been developed with…

Doctors’ leaders are calling on Welsh Government to change their position on face coverings, saying that they should be worn in areas where people cannot socially distance. Yesterday, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, announced that it will be compulsory to wear face masks on public transport in England from 15 June. During the daily coronavirus briefing, he said that face masks would be a ‘condition of travel’ and that not wearing one could lead to receiving a fine. BMA Cymru Wales council chair, Dr David Bailey said: “BMA Cymru Wales advocates the wearing of face coverings by the public in…

The RSPCA Llys Nini Animal Centre has urged the public to help “safeguard” its future, as usual income streams remain unavailable amid the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 restrictions mean Llys Nini’s charity shops have been closed since March, and fundraising events have been postponed – placing the charity in a “challenging position”. Despite this, Llys Nini is continuing to provide care for some 50 animals – and has launched an urgent new fundraising drive to “avert a local animal welfare crisis”. The Swansea-based centre has launched a Safe Haven Scheme – a monthly giving programme, where members of the public can…

Dozens of patients at Morriston Hospital with Covid-19 have given blood to help discover why some people are more susceptible to it than others. Scientists and clinicians believe the answer can be found in our DNA and are recruiting patients worldwide to study their genetic differences. The pandemic has triggered a series of urgent research studies, which experts from across Swansea Bay are participating in. Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care, known as GenOMICC, is the largest study of its kind. It has been recruiting patients since 2016 to study emerging infections such as SARS, flu and now, Covid-19, as…

Currys PC World has opened a new order and collect service from Cardiff Newport Road and Swansea stores. The the electronic retail chain has launched the service at 32 further stores, following the success of the 20 stores it reopened in May. As of Friday 5th June, Currys PC World is offering this service at 52 locations across the UK. The drive-thru order and collect service is providing a zero-contact way customers can purchase items online and collect them from their chosen local store, with pickup availability ranging from an hour after purchase to the next day depending on stock.…

Facilities services provider’s deep-cleaning service brings UK businesses peace of mind in fight against Coronavirus. The leading facilities services provider Vorsor, headquartered in Wales, is one of the few FS providers in the UK with the specialist bio-misting equipment, which delivers a complete sterilising solution for every kind of working environment; giving a deep clean that kills 99.99999% of bacteria, viruses and fungi, including Coronavirus, Norovirus, MRSA, Swine Flu, Ebola and Clostridium Difficile. Their hand-held, bio-misting systems, can be used to sanitise any surface or equipment in offices, shops, warehouses and factories, machinery and plant, and outdoor areas. Mark Rudge,…