Summary

  • Plans to cut 1,700 UK Airbus jobs have been described as "utterly devastating" by Wales' Economy Minister Ken Skates

  • Ryanair has been asked to postpone flights from Cardiff to Spain and Portugal scheduled for Friday, before Wales' five-mile "stay local" advice is lifted

  • Frailty is as important as age or underlying health issues in determining whether someone may die from Covid-19, a study involving Cardiff University has found

  • A man has been charged after trees placed on a road to help with social distancing were damaged in Cardiff

  • On Wednesday, six more deaths of people with coronavirus in Wales were confirmed by Public Health Wales, taking the official total to 1,516

  1. Goodbye for nowpublished at 14:57 BST 1 July 2020

    Thanks for joining us on the live blog today. We'll be back tomorrow to cover the Welsh Government's daily coronavirus briefing and other related news.

    Here are Wednesday's main developments:

    That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of your day and join us again on Thursday.

  2. Black Lives Matters stories 'may be adding stress'published at 14:55 BST 1 July 2020

    Public Health Wales says social media comments about the Black Lives Matter movement may be adding stress for members of the black community who are already anxious about Covid-19.

    It suggested people "try taking a media break and switch off when it gets too much".

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  3. Aerospace sector needs specific help, says first ministerpublished at 14:52 BST 1 July 2020

    First Minister Mark Drakeford has called for “sector specific” help from the UK government after the news of job losses at Airbus.

    The company plans to cut 1,700 UK jobs with losses expected at Broughton, in Flintshire, and Filton, in Bristol.

    Mr Drakeford was responding in a virtual Senedd session to Alyn and Deeside Labour member Jack Sargeant, who called for action from Prime Minister Boris Johnson “now”.

    The first minister said he would talk to any minister in the UK government to "press the case" for the sort of help being offered to aviation sectors in France and Germany.

    He said Airbus had a “successful future in front of it provided we can get it through the next months ahead”.

    Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Paul Davies said it was “crucial" for the two governments to be "working together at all levels to best support the workers”.

    Meanwhile Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price called on social media for the Welsh Government to take "urgent action" to help Airbus workers and to produce a clear plan for economic recovery.

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  4. PPE litter 'a clear danger to life'published at 14:45 BST 1 July 2020

    Personal protective equipment has been among litter dropped during lockdown.

    Keep Wales Tidy's Chief Executive Lesley Jones said: "This just makes me really frustrated.

    "These are the items that people are using to protect themselves from a killer virus, and which could quite easily have traces of the virus on them.

    "Not only are these unsightly litter, but they are a clear danger to life."

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  5. Boris Johnson: 'We are the builders, they are the blockers'published at 14:34 BST 1 July 2020

    Media caption,

    PMQs: Starmer and Johnson on UK jobs and economy

    Boris Johnson has accused Labour of “equivocating” over ending the lockdown and getting children back in schools.

    He was responding at Prime Minister's Questions to opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, who called for an extension to the furlough scheme to avoid job losses.

    Sir Keir also criticised Mr Johnson's announcement yesterday of a £600bn "new deal" of investment for economic recovery, claiming it offered no new money.

    Mr Johnson defended the plan, saying: “We are the builders, they are the blockers, we are the doers, they are the ditherers.”

  6. Delayed socially-distanced wedding for couplepublished at 14:26 BST 1 July 2020

    A couple whose plans for a large wedding were ruined by the coronavirus outbreak have tied the knot in a ceremony with just the bride's parents as guests.

    Elizabeth Facer and Ian Choi said "I do" in Penrhyndeudraeth, near Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on Saturday.

    His parents had to watch via video from Hong Kong, as did her brother and sister from just around the corner.

    The pair had planned to have a ceremony and reception with 300 guests in June.

    In the event, they and immediate family members celebrated with a picnic held in the boots of their cars because it was raining, followed by a drive home to Cardiff for a wedding night meal of microwaved lasagne.

    Ian Choi and Elizabeth FacerImage source, Thomas Butters
    Image caption,

    The happy couple celebrate their marriage with a picnic in the back of the car

  7. Graph showing Covid-19 deaths in Walespublished at 14:16 BST 1 July 2020

    Another six people with coronavirus in Wales are confirmed to have died, taking the official total to 1,516, Public Health Wales said on Wednesday.

    This graph shows the daily number of deaths by the date they occurred, rather than the day they were announced.

    Daily deaths of people with coronavirus in Wales
  8. Couple decide against Ryanair's Welsh flightspublished at 14:13 BST 1 July 2020

    A couple due to fly from Cardiff Airport on Friday on Ryanair flights the Welsh Government has asked to be postponed have said they will not travel.

    Sophie, who declined to give her surname, said her partner's health was a factor during the coronavirus pandemic as well as Welsh Government travel restrictions which advise staying within five miles of home.

    Her partner has health problems which she said could be put at risk by flying at the moment.

    She told BBC Wales the flight was booked in November, but Ryanair had said the flight was going ahead so they could not cancel.

    Sophie said the airline has told her that Welsh Government advice is not in effect on her flight, and the only solution is for her to send them a letter explaining her partner's health condition.

    She said they would otherwise have to pay a lot more to rearrange the flights to a later date.

    Sophie said: "They're expecting us to break the law just to get to the airport."

    She added: "The Welsh Government also shouldn't be allowing flights for holidays at this time.

    "Communication between both parties could have been better because it means people like us are now left in limbo and expecting to lose hundreds of pounds."

    Ryanair said it was "operating normally on 3 and 4 July with hundreds of Welsh people travelling home from countries with lower [infection] rates than the UK."

    Cardiff AirportImage source, Cardiff Airport
    Image caption,

    The couple had been due to fly from Cardiff Airport

  9. Map showing Covid-19 deaths in Walespublished at 14:06 BST 1 July 2020

    This map shows the number of deaths of people with coronavirus in each health board area of Wales.

    Six more people with Covid-19 are confirmed to have died in Wales, taking the official total to 1,516.

    Deaths of people with coronavirus in the seven Welsh health boards
  10. Katherine Jenkins's virtual show for care home residentspublished at 14:01 BST 1 July 2020

    Classical singer Katherine Jenkins is about to perform to over 100 UK care homes.

    The virtual concert can also be seen by anyone via social media.

    The Neath-born star is leading the singalong from 14:30 BST.

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  11. Six more people die with coronavirus in Walespublished at 13:58 BST 1 July 2020
    Breaking

    Six more people with coronavirus are confirmed to have died in Wales, taking the official total to 1,516.

    Figures from Public Health Wales also showed there were 32 new cases reported, meaning 15,775 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

    To date, 139,248 individuals have been tested for coronavirus in Wales, with 123,473 testing negative.

    A total of 185,111 tests have been carried out, with some people having been tested more than once.

    PHW publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.

    Wales map of coronavirus deaths
  12. Number of funeral mourners increased in Gwent areapublished at 13:49 BST 1 July 2020

    Funeral

    Five councils in south east Wales are raising the number of mourners allowed to attend a funeral.

    From now on, services held in cemeteries in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen will be able to have 20 people in attendance.

    But the Gwent Local Resilience Forum said.the limit was still 10 mourners for crematoria funerals.

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  13. Wrexham market and arts space reopenspublished at 13:40 BST 1 July 2020

    Market and art space Ty Pawb in Wrexham has reopened after being closed by the pandemic.

    Car parking at the site will be free until further notice.

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  14. Reassurances for Airbus apprenticespublished at 13:31 BST 1 July 2020

    Asked about the long-term prospects for apprentices at Airbus in Broughton, Wales' Economy Minister Ken Skates said: “Our skills team is looking right now at a funding package to extend the training of year three apprentices, and they’re looking at funding as a means of supporting this year’s intake.

    “We want to make sure that coronavirus does not prevent us from taking on apprentices who will acquire skills and be experienced to be able to deliver on the 'wings of tomorrow' project.”

    He added: “We will invest in your future, we will invest in the Airbus plant, we will succeed in capturing the wing of tomorrow and we will deliver bright prospects for that plant and your future as well."

    Apprentice at Airbus in FlintshireImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Airbus will need apprentices to work on the "wing of tomorrow", the minister said

  15. Workers at Airbus 'don’t want to hear slogans'published at 13:24 BST 1 July 2020

    Stephen Doughty MPImage source, House of Commons
    Image caption,

    Stephen Doughty: "They don't want to hear bluff and bluster"

    Workers at Airbus “don’t want to hear slogans” as they face job cuts, a Welsh MP has told the prime minister.

    Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Stephen Doughty asked Boris Johnson what he would do to save 1,700 jobs at risk at the aerospace giant.

    The Cardiff South and Penarth MP also asked about 1,400 potential job losses at GE in Nantgarw and 12,000 at risk at British Airways.

    “Workers at those plants don’t want to hear slogans, they don’t want to hear bluff and bluster, they want to hear from the prime minister what he is going to do to save those jobs in the long term," he said.

    "They’ve had the furlough scheme, what’s he going to do to protect them going forward?”

    In response, the prime minister said the UK government had put £120bn of support into the economy but recognised that people were "worried about their jobs".

    “That is why we have plans to build a £600bn plan for investment, and to deliver jobs, jobs, jobs.

    "And for sectors across the country where we need to keep young people in particular in employment we have offered, as he knows, an opportunity guarantee so they will have either an apprenticeship, an in-work placement or an opportunity for training.”

  16. WATCH: Airbus job cuts would be devastating, say residentspublished at 13:19 BST 1 July 2020

    Residents of a Flintshire town are bracing themselves for the prospects of big job cuts at Airbus.

    The firm, which plans to cut 1,700 UK jobs, employs 6,000 people in Broughton.

    Responding to the news, one local resident said: "Most people who live in the area work here."

    Media caption,

    Airbus: 'Most people who live in the area, work here'

  17. Neath market reopens with social distancingpublished at 13:15 BST 1 July 2020

    Neath market has reopened today with social distancing in place.

    Neath Port Talbot council said: "Staff will be on hand to 'count in and count out' customers so no more than 40 are inside at any one time."

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  18. Economic resilience fund payments start tomorrowpublished at 13:07 BST 1 July 2020

    More than 300 applications have been processed in the last 72 hours for the next phase of the Welsh Government's economic resilience fund, Economy Minister Ken Skates said.

    He confirmed payments will begin to be made to businesses tomorrow.

    The fund was set up to help provide additional financial support to businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Mr Skates said: “We expect over the coming days £3m to be [handed] out to businesses across the length and breadth of Wales.

    “Then in the autumn we will also have the third phase of the economic resilience fund which will focus on growth, focus on restoring confidence within key sectors."

    He added the Welsh Government was focused on making sure it could “secure as many jobs in Wales as possible”.

  19. 'Incredible investment' made in Airbus, says ministerpublished at 13:05 BST 1 July 2020

    The Welsh Government has made “incredible investment” in the Broughton Airbus site and the wider aerospace sector, according to Economy Minister Ken Skates.

    “We have pretty much supported every single business around Airbus in Britain that forms part of the supply chain within the aerospace sector," he said.

    “We have invested in thousands upon thousands of Airbus apprentices and, crucially, we have recently opened the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.”

    “Our long-term plan for the future of the Airbus site in Broughton is to capture the wing of tomorrow. The wing of tomorrow will lead to the manufacturing of all Airbus’s new composite wings for many decades to come.

    "That remains the future strategy for the security of the site and the many thousands of people who work there.”

    Mr Skates went on to say that nobody had foreseen the devastating impact of coronavirus on the sector.

    He said he welcomed the Chancellor’s job retention scheme but repeated his call for an “evolution” of the scheme, and for the UK government to provide "support for a shorter working week to minimise the number of job losses".

  20. 'Vast proportion of Ryanair passengers won't turn up'published at 13:03 BST 1 July 2020

    A “vast proportion” of passengers will not turn up for Ryanair flights out of Cardiff Airport on Friday, Economy Minister Ken Skates has claimed.

    The Welsh Government has written to Ryanair asking the airline to postpone the flights to Malaga and Faro until the five-mile "stay local" travel advice expires.

    Mr Skates said it was for people to take “individual responsibility” when considering whether they should fly.

    He acknowledged that some people will be travelling on compassionate grounds or for work, but said otherwise “stay local” rules remain in place.

    “Everybody needs to be continuing to contribute to the national effort, and it is for individuals to take responsibility now," Mr Skates said.

    “We know that a huge proportion of the tickets sold for these flights were sold up to 12 months ago.

    “We don't know how many passengers will actually turn up at the airport.

    “We've seen during the course of the pandemic a vast proportion of people who are pre-booked not arriving for their flights.

    “I expect that to be the same for these flights."

    Ryanair planeImage source, PA Media