Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford overnight announced new Covid restrictions in Wales to battle rising infection rates, just as the country’s case rates have seemingly begun falling. The new restrictions include:

• Fully vaccinated adults, and those aged five to 17, being asked to self-isolated if someone in their household has symptoms or tests positive, until they receive a negative PCR test
• Unvaccinated people having to self-isolate for 10 days following contact with a Covid positive person
• Widening the use of Covid passports to theatres, cinemas and concert halls
• Encouraging more people to work from home

Wales’ mask mandate hasn’t proved effective enough for Drakeford…

Drakeford’s immediate caving in to harsher restrictions on people’s lives seems to have come at a bizarre moment. Not only are cases in the UK showing a significant drop, the last two days of Welsh cases are also showing large falls. Yesterday they were down 37% on last Thursday, on Wednesday they were down 25% on the week before.

Welsh citizens will no doubt be grateful for Drakeford’s transformation from Mr Bean to Stalin…