Six Nations to be played behind closed doors

[OJLloyd]

As Bart said above, I suspect we will be getting a similar decision about outdoor sports.

Regardless of the merits, I suspect the Senedd are going to struggle to finance continued losses for football and rugby.

Being smaller, I’m not sure that concern will be the same for the Devils. Or at least not as immediate.

I suspect we’ll be allowed back in around the weekend of 28 Jan

 

[august04 2.0]

She's said nothing of the sort. Her full announcement is in half an hour but she's expected to say that because the restrictions did work they are able to start relaxing restrictions.

Outdoor spectator restrictions being lifted in Scotland on Monday, Rempel’s outdoor sport info was right! Great news.

 

[Devil94]

Probably best not to highlight the Oct 20 firebreak in Wales - it’s implementation and aftermath here were an unmitigated disaster. Even Sturgeon thought better than to implement that one! You’ll find the odd exception granted but the general rule throughout is that we’ve gone down the same route as Scotland, but a few weeks later. I don’t think many would argue with that assessment.

It's not the odd exception. The 3 major restriction periods (after the original lockdown) we have had in Wales were not in place by Scotland or anyone else when they were announced. In fact Scotland followed us a few days later on 2 of those occasions. England announced a national lockdown just as Wales were coming out of our October fire break. And theirs was a lot longer than 2 weeks.

So whether you agree or not on those lockdowns is a different matter, but it's just simply not true to say Wales follows Scotland a few weeks later. Wales has been the first to act on nearly every occasion. Again, whether you agree with those actions is another issue.

 

[Finny]

Probably best not to highlight the Oct 20 firebreak in Wales - it’s implementation and aftermath here were an unmitigated disaster. Even Sturgeon thought better than to implement that one! You’ll find the odd exception granted but the general rule throughout is that we’ve gone down the same route as Scotland, but a few weeks later. I don’t think many would argue with that assessment.

I would. Here are a list of the major rules changes through the initial stages of the pandemic for Wales and Scotland :

8th May 2020 - Wales removes restriction of once a day outside exercise
10th May 2020 - Scotland removes restriction of once a day outside exercise

28th May 2020 - Scotland announces relaxation of rules meeting outdoors
29th May 2020 - Wales announces relaxation of rules meeting outdoors

3rd June 2020 - Wales announces Schools will reopen to all pupils from 29th June
23rd June 2020 - Scotland announces Schools we reopen to all pupils from August

9th June 2020 - Wales introduces facemasks for public transport
22nd June 2020 - Scotland introduces facemasks for public transport

22nd June 2020 - Wales reopens non-essential retail (announced 3 week previously).
29th June 2020 - Scotland reopens non-essential retail (announced 10 days previously)

24th June 2020 - Scotland announces hospitality can reopen from 15th July
2nd July 2020 - Wales announces hospitality can reopen outdoors from 13th July
10th July 2020 - Wales announces hospitality can reopen indoors from 3rd Aug

31st July 2020 - Wales announces swimming pools, leisure centres etc can reopen from 3rd Aug
20th Aug 2020 - Scotland announces swimming pools, leisure centres etc can reopen from 31st Aug

At this point it gets very difficult to compare as both countries start to impose restrictions on areas rather than the whole country.

 

[august04 2.0]

It's not the odd exception. The 3 major restriction periods (after the original lockdown) we have had in Wales were not in place by Scotland or anyone else when they were announced. In fact Scotland followed us a few days later on 2 of those occasions. England announced a national lockdown just as Wales were coming out of our October fire break. And theirs was a lot longer than 2 weeks.

So whether you agree or not on those lockdowns is a different matter, but it's just simply not true to say Wales follows Scotland a few weeks later. Wales has been the first to act on nearly every occasion. Again, whether you agree with those actions is another issue.

Right on cue, Mr. Drakeford announces that he’s looking to lift restrictions next week if cases continue to fall! Let’s hope he follows Scotland’s lead on this one very soon and we can get back to better things, like watching and discussing hockey again. Nowhere else for him to go on this, given the financial pressure surrounding all things Six Nations.

 

[august04 2.0]

I would. Here are a list of the major rules changes through the initial stages of the pandemic for Wales and Scotland :

8th May 2020 - Wales removes restriction of once a day outside exercise
10th May 2020 - Scotland removes restriction of once a day outside exercise

28th May 2020 - Scotland announces relaxation of rules meeting outdoors
29th May 2020 - Wales announces relaxation of rules meeting outdoors

3rd June 2020 - Wales announces Schools will reopen to all pupils from 29th June
23rd June 2020 - Scotland announces Schools we reopen to all pupils from August

9th June 2020 - Wales introduces facemasks for public transport
22nd June 2020 - Scotland introduces facemasks for public transport

22nd June 2020 - Wales reopens non-essential retail (announced 3 week previously).
29th June 2020 - Scotland reopens non-essential retail (announced 10 days previously)

24th June 2020 - Scotland announces hospitality can reopen from 15th July
2nd July 2020 - Wales announces hospitality can reopen outdoors from 13th July
10th July 2020 - Wales announces hospitality can reopen indoors from 3rd Aug

31st July 2020 - Wales announces swimming pools, leisure centres etc can reopen from 3rd Aug
20th Aug 2020 - Scotland announces swimming pools, leisure centres etc can reopen from 31st Aug

At this point it gets very difficult to compare as both countries start to impose restrictions on areas rather than the whole country.

I’ve kept you busy this afternoon anyway.

 

[Finny]

I’ve kept you busy this afternoon anyway.

And I have hopefully educated you this afternoon.

 

[august04 2.0]

And I have hopefully educated you this afternoon.

If you’d covered more than 4 months out of the near 2 year pandemic, then perhaps! There’s a job for you later.

 

[Earnie]

Scotland Opening up to fans at sports venues next Monday.

 

[moggy#9]

As Bart said above, I suspect we will be getting a similar decision about outdoor sports.

Regardless of the merits, I suspect the Senedd are going to struggle to finance continued losses for football and rugby.

Being smaller, I’m not sure that concern will be the same for the Devils. Or at least not as immediate.

I suspect we’ll be allowed back in around the weekend of 28 Jan

We're never going to command the influence that the taffia does. The attitude those in power have towards us is usually one of utter disdain.

 

[Mazzoak]

Are we talking 10% reduction in bookings? 20%? 50%?
And how does this relate to England where despite less restrictions the 'gullible' were also apparently opting to stay at home instead?

25% loss in revenue is the number being quoted, that’s an average, some businesses have had to permanently close, others are very close and large chains are borrowing on future revenue.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59877890

Take Asador44, they’ve had 3,200 bookings cancelled in December. That’s a massive loss for a relatively small business that had growth pre Covid, trying to absorb that level of loss is difficult. How does this compare to England, I’ve heard around 12% was the loss in revenue, but again that’s nation wide, I don’t see how everyone in the sinking ship is somehow comforted knowing theres little hope of a rescue for those who don’t have money.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59649233

Compare bookings in the South West of England that apparently received around an 8% increase in Welsh bookings on top of their usual in December.

 

[Ejercito Rojas]

If, as many of our 'left wing comrades' claim, that Drakeford is making such a great job in his handling of the COVID pandemic, why was he not prepared to be held accountable for his actions and responses?
He has flatly refused a Welsh Enquiry and prefers to hide behind an UK wide enquiry.
He is happy wielding the power, just not the accountability.

Let’s not forget the the WAG are fully responsible for the NHS in Wales and it is a SHAMBLES!
Comrade Drakeford was once the Health Minister and presided over some of the worst waiting times despite his debunked claims to the opposite!
My point being that Drakeford is not the paragon of virtue some would have us believe!

 

[moggy#9]

If, as many of our 'left wing comrades' claim, that Drakeford is making such a great job in his handling of the COVID pandemic, why was he not prepared to be held accountable for his actions and responses?
He has flatly refused a Welsh Enquiry and prefers to hide behind an UK wide enquiry.
He is happy wielding the power, just not the accountability.

Let’s not forget the the WAG are fully responsible for the NHS in Wales and it is a SHAMBLES!
Comrade Drakeford was once the Health Minister and presided over some of the worst waiting times despite his debunked claims to the opposite!
My point being that Drakeford is not the paragon of virtue some would have us believe!

Do you really expect anything different where officials get their positions through patronage rather than competence. That's what you get in the one party state that Wales has become.

 

[rocketbob]

Well has the NHS collapsed? No it hasn't.

We have had people dying after waiting in ambulances for 9 hours after heart attacks, unable to get a bed or to see a doctor. So fair to say in areas it is stretched beyond what it should be. The NHS at its funding level under the current party in Westminster struggled every year at this time even before the pandemic. Oh, and >1300 families lost a loved one with Covid last week.

 

[Hockeymad]

I can see devils being allowed in the next 2 weeks aswell

 

[Mazzoak]

2 years before Covid my mother had a stroke. The Paramedics responded by car within the time limit, after 2 hours of waiting for the Ambulance to arrive, the Paramedic took her in the car to A&E. After 4 hours on an ambulance stretcher in the reception area of the UHW A&E she was given a bed in a cubicle. She was still there 2 days later, she then moved to a ward.

Drakeford describes his Covid isolation in his garden hut, he failed to mention the Hut is actually a double bedroom, kitchen, office and bathroom. It was granted planning permission in 2004 to convert it from an outbuilding to a 2 storey coaching house. That’s not the issue, it’s the way he described his “sacrifice“ to protect his vulnerable mother........

 

[august04 2.0]

We have had people dying after waiting in ambulances for 9 hours after heart attacks, unable to get a bed or to see a doctor. So fair to say in areas it is stretched beyond what it should be. The NHS at its funding level under the current party in Westminster struggled every year at this time even before the pandemic. Oh, and >1300 families lost a loved one with Covid last week.

It was like that before the pandemic too, especially in Wales, where health is devolved. Years of underfunding, from both the Welsh and UK governments, that’s why we're having to protect the NHS. And around 1500 people die every day of something in the UK. Tragic for all those families but that’s the reality. Just wait until all the deaths are counted from untreated cancers, heart disease etc - the deaths actually caused by Covid won't compare well with those.

 

[Kevlar68]

My partner is a team leader for the NHS and you honestly wouldn't believe the crap she takes from people she's there to help and the pathetic reasons people go in to A & E, outpatients, doctors surgeries and out of hours. These clog up the system more than anything else.
Add to that self inflicted drunken/drug injuries with idiots crashing to the floor, fighting, trying stupid stunts, these injuries take up the time of real emergencies.
When it come to jabs, everyone was told you will be contacted in good time and even then the reception was jammed with people calling and turning up in person which delayed real appointments, people just don't listen.

 

[BostonBart22]

I can see devils being allowed in the next 2 weeks aswell

Love it to be the belfast fixture on 22nd but can't see that tbh

 

[Diablo3]

It does look suspiciously like they are going to open up outdoor sports in Wales and Scotland to accommodate big rugby games in both countries. I guess they are running out of their own funds.

I just hope they do the same for indoor sports as soon as possible.