Y Gwir Anrh/Rt Hon Mark DrakefordAS/MS

Prif Weinidog Cymru/First Minister of Wales

 

 

 

 

 

Eich cyf/Your ref P-05-1046 Ein cyf/Our ref FM -/01688/20

 

 

Jack SargeantMS

Chair, PetitionsCommittee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 August2021

 

 

Dear Jack,

 

A request was received, during the last Senedd term, from the then-chair of the Petitions Committee, for my views on a petition received requesting that we reconsider lockdown measuresand investigate the scientific evidence.

 

It now appears that a reply was not provided to that request. As a matter ofcourtesy, I provide a reply below, in case it should prove useful to the present Petitions Committeein the discharge of its duties.

 

The science used to inform lockdown measures is provided by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and our Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG published its evidence with regards to the need for a short-term period of simple, strict national restrictions to reduce the prevalence of Covid-19 in Wales at https://gov.wales/technical-advisory-group-fire-breaks. SAGE papers on circuit breaker and other non-pharmaceutical interventions are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/circuit-breakers- implementing-partial-lockdown-for-2-weeks-over-half-term-24-september- 2020.

 

 

Bae Caerdydd• Cardiff Bay

Caerdydd • Cardiff

CF99 1SN

Canolfan CyswlltCyntaf / First Point of Contact Centre:

0300 0604400

YP.PrifWeinidog@llyw.cymru • ps.firstminister@gov.wales

 

Rydym yn croesawu derbyn gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ateb gohebiaeth a dderbynnir yn Gymraeg yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd gohebu yn Gymraeg yn arwain at oedi.

 

We welcome receiving correspondence in Welsh. Any correspondence received in Welsh will be answered in Welsh and corresponding in Welshwill not lead to a delay in responding.

On 15 October 2020, SAGE published advice specifically on segmentation which can be found at the link below: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/a ttachment_data/file/928740/S0810_Summary_of_SAGE_advice_on_segmenta tion.pdf

 

 

I note that the petition refers to lockdowns being based on the rise in the number of Covid positive test results and the belief that this will lead to more cases of Covid and a dramatic rise in deaths.                  When a person tests positive for Covid, that is recorded as a Covid case, therefore a rise in the number of peopletesting positive for Covid, is arise in the numberof Covid cases.

 

Yours sincerely,

MARK DRAKEFORD