POLICE officers at Newcastle Emlyn were stopping vehicles on Carmarthen Road yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, April 8), checking reasons for travelling in the area.

The coronavirus lockdown is set to continue in Wales for the foreseeable future after Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford’s statement yesterday.

There is also a fear of an influx of visitors to Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire during the Easter break, despite the travel restrictions that are in place.

In his statement to the Senedd yesterday (Wednesday, April 8), Mr Drakeford said: “Today we are approaching the end of the initial three-week period of the stay-at-home rules. I want to again place on record my thanks to people throughout Wales for the solidarity which has been shown in complying with these vitally necessary restrictions.

“These are having an impact; the actions every one of us is taking to limit contact with others; to stay at home and to work from home wherever possible, is helping to slow down the spread of the virus and to protect the most vulnerable.

“But because of the lag time between these measures coming into effect and seeing their results – we know that things will get worse before they get better. More people will fall ill, more people will need to be admitted to hospital, and more families across Wales will face the human heartbreak of losing someone they love.

“Yesterday, just after midnight, an amendment to those stay-at-home rules came into force, extending the social distancing duty to all workplaces.

“The workforce is the greatest asset in any workplace, and these regulations underline the obligation to safeguard the health and wellbeing of those workers through all reasonable measures.

“This means all workplaces, which remain open in Wales, must take all reasonable steps to maintain a 2m distance between people to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

“This week has seen a set of developments in our health and social care services, from retuning doctors and carers to the creation of field hospitals.

“In relation to testing, we have seen the development of drive-in testing centres in Wales and testing for social care staff. As our capacity to do more tests increases, we will roll out testing to more people and professional groups, including the police and prison staff, as set out in our National Testing Plan for Wales..

“Ensuring health and social care staff have the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to do their job is a priority for my government.

“New guidance will increase the pressure on our stocks of PPE. To date we have issued more than 8 million additional items from our pandemic stocks to the NHS and local authorities – this is over and above the supplies, which are normally held by the NHS.

“We are working with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure an ongoing supply of PPE but we have also called on Welsh businesses to switch their normal production lines to make PPE for the NHS.

“The three weeks of stay-at- home restrictions provided for in legislation, and which we have all faced, are due to end next week.

“I must be plain with all Members, these restrictions will not end then.

“We will not throw away the gains we have made, and the lives we can save, by abandoning our efforts, just as they begin to bear fruit.

“Since we last met, I have discussed this matter with the First Ministers of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the Secretary of State for Health in the UK Government and today with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Secretary of State for Wales.

“There is more work to do, in reviewing the regulations and in receiving the most up-to-date scientific and medical advice.

“The precise nature of what will follow the current regime will be agreed over the coming days, but I need to leave Welsh citizens in no doubt.

“The efforts we are all making are not yet over. They will not be over next week. Before the restrictions can begin to be lifted, and the return to normality begins there is more for us all to do.

“I thank every one of those thousands and thousands of people in Wales who make their contribution every day and who will go on doing so over the days ahead.

“Together we are making a real difference, we are protecting our NHS and, together, we are saving lives.”