The overnight press-release from Carmarthenshire County Council, pinpointing the source of a Covid-19 cluster to an illegal gathering at Drefach, pleaded with residents to take some responsibility to prevent further spread.
Care homes have taken a hammering from Covid-19. The Ammanford area has not been immune. I was therefore alarmed in May to be shown pictures that had been posted by Ammanford Town Council on their Facebook page and circulated to the local Press. The images clearly show Ammanford town councillors breaching the Welsh Government's guidance and law [The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020].
Some weeks ago I stopped (safely) on my second post-lockdown journey to measure the sign at Ael-Y-Bryn care home in Penybanc (contactless). Its external width is roughly 1.35m. Applying a modicum of common-sense, if two councillors stood either side of the sign then they would still be closer than 2m ('cos 1.35m < 2m).
Pictured in 2m : Mayor Julia Bell (Plaid Cymru), Deputy Mayor Gruff Harrison (Plaid Cymru), Town Councillor Llio Davies (Plaid Cymru)
The back-story to this debacle was Ammanford Town Council finally meeting (remotely) on 4 May 2020, and wanting to do "something" to help. Wanting to help is a good thing. Waiting to help for so long, not such a good thing.
Ruling out directly helping/visiting the residents was a good thing. Thinking of the Care Workers - a while before much of the MSM picked up on their diligence - was a really good thing.
There was a slight wrinkle in the discussion, as the brain-trust worked out that none of the care homes "in Ammanford" were actually within Ammanford Town Council's ward boundaries. In March the Council had brutally dismissed an appeal for help from Cruse Bereavement Care, sent from a Garnant address, despite knowing they supported residents in the Ammanford Town Council catchment. None-the-less, consistency has never been one of this Council's strong points, and so the plan was hatched to deliver "goody boxes" to care workers at the homes just out of Ward.
(Out-of-ward is perfectly pragmatic. Care workers, especially agency staff, travel from near and afar to residential homes. A member of my own family has regularly worked long-shifts dispersed from Llanwrtyd Wells to Bridgend to Whitland in order to supplement his meagre bursary, pay bills and keep the car on the road).
Goody boxes for under-appreciated care workers are a really good thing.
Stopping for a photo to push to the media, having dolled-up in the chains and finery of office, whilst not maintaining a 2m distance from those outside a Councillor's household? They are bad things. Sadly they are also the tip of the iceberg from the ruling cabal.
Children returning to school have seen physical 2m banners at the school gates (in-situ since July) and no doubt were admonished to keep 2m from one another. Will they remember this glaring example from their local community "leaders"?
Plaid Cymru are (still) campaigning for the Welsh Government to yield to the overwhelming body of science and legislate to promote wearing face coverings. Perhaps the Party should prioritise getting their own politicians and community representatives to put adherence to existing laws (and science) ahead of publicity.
