7 point Coronavirus recovery plan
1. Staying in Lockdown
We were too slow into lockdown. We need to avoid being too fast out. Leaving lockdown too early would be bad for Wales, and an easing of restrictions in England would also be bad for Wales.
2. Travel and Residency Restrictions
The UK Government needs to empower Wales in legislation and in messaging to enable restrictions on travel and residency so that policy in Wales is not undermined.
If necessary, travel restrictions within Wales, and between Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom should be introduced.
Similarly, international travel should be subject to 14-day quarantine.
3. The New Zealand Model
Driving down ‘R’ must be the priority rather than managing the number of cases based on what the Health Service can handle. This means driving the R number below 0.5 and reducing the number of cases in order to decrease the number of avoidable deaths to zero.
4. Test & Trace
Full test, trace and isolate capacity needs to be ready by end of this three-week period.
5. Care Homes
A specific strategy to drive down clusters of cases in care homes based on transparency on R number in care homes and policy of testing becoming universally available in care homes.
6. Adjustment Phase
As we enter the adjustment phase, when appropriate, local flexibility should form part of the strategy. When the number of new cases has been successfully suppressed nationally, a more local approach can be adopted with the ability to re-impose lockdown measures quickly in response to the emergence of new clusters.
Such a locally targeted approach is advocated by the World Health Organization.
7. Economic Support
The economic life-support machine should not be switched off. Nations that remain in lockdown longer for public health reasons, should not be disadvantaged by any changes to economic support. Current levels of financial support should be maintained in nations that need it.