Ceredigion MS Elin Jones has welcomed news that the new five-mile rule for Wales during lockdown is guidance and not set in stone.

The Welsh Government has revised its coronavirus lockdown measures so that from today (Monday) two households are allowed to meet outside within five miles from home, or within the local area.

The use of the terms ‘local area’ and ‘within five miles’ had caused many to seek clarification of what this would mean for rural communities that are often more than five miles apart.

One of those was Ceredigion’s Member of the Senedd, Elin Jones, who issued a statement following the Welsh Government’s press conference on Friday, 29 May.

Elin Jones MS, said: “I reacted quite badly to the news that a five-mile limit was to be imposed on outdoor meetings for friends and family. This felt to me particularly unfair on rural residents such as all of us in Ceredigion.

“To put this in context, my guess is that there’s around 250,000 people in a five-mile radius in Cardiff, compared to only 2,500 in a five-mile radius of Aberaeron or Llandysul. However, I have now had time to carefully consider the words of the First Minister and the guidance subsequently issued.

“The first point to make is that the five-mile suggestion is only in guidance and not in the legislation. That is a very important difference.

"The First Minister quite clearly said that people should exercise their own judgement within the different geographies in Wales on whether five miles was local or not. And that they should exercise this judgement ‘seriously and soberly’.

“In Ceredigion most of our villages and towns are more than five miles apart but we would consider most of these to be local to each other. That seems reasonable.

“Exercise your better judgement to keep your friends and family safe and reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Enjoy the good weather and any outdoor, socially-distanced visit to another household.

“However, stay local is the fundamental advice. We have not beaten this virus yet.”