Author: Rhys Gregory

Key Workers will no longer have to pay to park their vehicle on-street or in Cardiff Council-owned car parks under new measures released this week to help in the fight against COVID-19 outbreak.  Key workers are carrying out vital jobs to ensure that society can continue to operate during the ongoing emergency. The council-owned car parks which are free for key workers are: Canton car parks (Wellington Street; Leckwith Road; Severn Road; Grey Street and Harvey Street car parks) Havana Street car park The Barrage car park Sophia Gardens car park North Road car park Castle Mews car park Llandaff…

New emergency childcare arrangements for essential workers will come into effect from Monday, March 30 – and Rhondda Cynon Taf residents and employees must re-apply by Friday to take advantage of it.  All schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf remain closed for statutory education, in response to the Coronavirus outbreak, and since March 23 the Council has offered emergency ‘last-resort’ childcare for ‘essential workers’ (as defined by UK Government). This arrangement has been operating in all schools for 3-14 year-olds, during core school hours. However from Monday, March 30, this provision for 3-14 year-olds will be held in 11 emergency centres…

Cardiff restaurant owner Giovanni Malacrino is giving away pizza and pasta to the most vulnerable people hit by the Coronavirus. Giovanni, who runs three Italian restaurants in Cardiff, is asking people to get in touch if they are or if they know of anyone who would benefit from a free meal being delivered over the next few weeks. The businessman is also reducing the price of his delivery dishes and helping people to create meals at home. Giovanni’s Cardiff Bay restaurant is doing deliveries, and the 59-year-old said he wanted to help NHS workers, the elderly and anyone else who…

The Welsh Government has announced a support package for businesses listed on the business rates register to help them through the Coronavirus crisis. The new package includes a year-long business rates holiday for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in Wales for example shops, pubs and restaurants, gyms, performance venues and hotels. The scheme will apply to all eligible business ratepayers with a rateable value of £500,000 or less. Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: “This is really good news for small business struggling at this difficult time. The council is taking rapid steps to put all the measures associated…

150 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 628, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher. Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “150 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 628, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher.   “Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now circulating in every part of Wales. “Five further deaths have been reported to us…

The IGP has responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by launching remote online GP consultations, as well as remote physiotherapy sessions and pathology tests.

Reports are coming in that the Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus.  A Clarence House spokesman has released the following statement: “In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. “The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing. “It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. We will update this page once we have more information.

Aberdare-based free from bakery is business as normal during outbreak.

The Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency has announced plans to suspend MOTs on all vehicles from Monday 30th March. You do not need to do anything to extend your vehicle’s MOT expiry date if it’s on or after 30 March 2020. However, you must keep your vehicle safe to drive. Your vehicle will be automatically given a 6-month MOT exemption. This will extend your current MOT expiry date by 6 months. If your MOT has expired already or it is due before Monday, you won’t get the extension. The DVLA have provided this example: Example: Your vehicle’s MOT was due to…

More than half (53%) of city centre businesses are worried they may face permanent closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a survey by FOR Cardiff. Furthermore, 21% of businesses have already made staff redundancies or are going to make them, with 51% concerned about the prospect of staff redundancies, meaning many are facing unemployment. The organisation, which is the city’s business improvement district, is running a weekly city-wide impact survey to gauge the scale of the economic impact of the global health emergency on Cardiff’s businesses. The survey will help FOR Cardiff pool resources to best help mitigate…