People flouting lockdown rules to travel into Pembrokeshire to stay over the festive and New Year period have been branded as ‘selfish and irresponsible’ by a Tenby county councillor, amid a huge number of complaints being reported to authorities about the amount of ‘visitors’ descending on the county.

Clr. Michael Williams, who represents the Tenby North ward has also hit out at the Welsh Government for failing to give proper enforcement powers to police or Local Authority officers to enable them to instruct anyone staying at a property away from their permanent residence, without a valid reason, to return home.

The Welsh Government introduced stay-at-home measures from midnight on Sunday (December 20) with the First Minister bringing the lockdown forward after urgent talks with ministers over a new strain of coronavirus.

Pembrokeshire County Council issued a statement ahead of Christmas and New Year that travel to second or holiday homes is not permitted under Welsh Government Alert Level 4 restrictions, following reports of people travelling into Pembrokeshire to second or holiday homes since the restrictions came into force.

The restrictions state: ‘Travel in Wales without a reasonable excuse is an offence while alert level 4 restrictions are in place. Travelling into, out of or within Wales to visit, check, inspect, or stay in a second home or holiday home is not a reasonable excuse.

‘The same rules apply to caravans, boats and other temporary accommodation.’

However, the rules continue to be ignored by many according to Clr. Williams who has stated that many have remained in Tenby and other coastal parts of the county despite being required to return home as soon as possible once the Alert Level 4 restrictions came into force.

“When I read in The Guardian newspaper just before New Year that the Covid infection rate in Pembrokeshire had dropped by 25 per cent, my hopes for the coming New Year did rise, albeit for a very brief period - it appeared that our hard work of recent weeks had begun to bring dividends.

“But then, with the arrival of New Year my heart sank when I witnessed the influx, once again, of second home owners, in clear and a cavalier breach of the regulations,” remarked Clr. Williams.

“I fail to understand, even allowing for the admittedly limited intelligence of some of these selfish, irresponsible, and sometimes arrogant individuals, who say when challenged that it is ‘our right to use our properties’.

“It is almost amusing to see these individuals in the area trying to look innocuous and appearing so obviously furtive!

“The regulations are very clear, but the trouble is that the Welsh Government has fallen in to the trap of having regulations but failing to give powers of enforcement to the police or Local Authority enforcement officers. The worst type of laws are those that are unenforceable.

“Once these people are in their properties they are safe and can’t be instructed to return to their main residence. It is then more than a little futile to expect any sense of culpability or consideration for the local community to flow from them.

“We face an imminent threat that our hospitals will fail to cope. Just listen to those on the front line, they are at the point of utter exhaustion, with infections running at over 50,000 a day in the UK.

“If nothing else, before you travel and possibly spread this awful infection, at least give some thought to those who after our foolishness have to try to save our lives. In other words, please stay home!” he continued.

Clr. Williams says that if anyone has any doubts about the ‘devastating effect’ on ones health that Covid-19 can have, he is more than happy for them to contact him, after he contracted coronavirus back in October, and is still suffering.

“If they wish to contact me I am more than willing to go through my experience in gruesome detail! I only suffered a minor, moderate infection, but the ‘long covid’ is quite devastating.

“I’ve suffered with a chronic shortage of breath and a devastating lethargy, and am still like this, continuing 10 weeks after the positive test, and mine was as I say a moderate infection.

“Just remember the words of Professor Hugh Montgomery of Whittington hospital London - ‘Those who break the rules will have blood on their hands, they are spreading the virus. Other people spread it and people will die. They wont know they have killed anyone, but they have’ - so for anyone who has long term chronic conditions they are extremely susceptible to an illness that can often have a drastic outcome!” he commented.

“What is so concerning is the same thing is going on as back in March, even after warnings from medics that this wave could be three times worse.“Hospitals in our area are under extreme pressure. A consultant friend said last week after he finished he had to step over people sleeping on the floor in A&E. “One shift he worked 14 hours with a 40 minute break, his surgery boots had water in the bottoms through sweat. And worse is to come in his opinion!” continued Clr. Williams, who has also written to Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford outlining his concerns.“My concern is born out of my experience residing in an area that has a huge number of second homes, and the almost total failure of many of these individual property owners to observe the regulations,” wrote Clr. Williams in his correspondence to the First Minister.“It is causing considerable consternation in the community when we witness such a blatant disregard for these regulations. “The problem we see is the total absence of any enforcement once the owners are in their properties. “Power must be given to the Police and Local Authority enforcement officers to instruct these people to return to their main residence with a minimum fine of £1,000 if they fail to do so.“Unless such action is taken I have serious concerns about community cohesion, which is already strained, having had reports of unpleasant exchanges of views in the town when local residents have pointed out to strangers that they might have acted in breach of the covid regulations. “Some display an unfortunate arrogance stating openly that it is their right to occupy properties that they own, whenever they wish, even during a time of national emergency. The fear is that the strategy put in place to combat covid, is being seriously undermined by the actions of an irresponsible minority.“In the Tenby area we have a high number of very elderly and shielding individuals who in many instances are terrified by the virus, and this fear is exacerbated by the numbers of visitors in the area over Christmas and New Year..“I urge you to consider taking action on this matter, as frankly the disregard of a considerable number of individuals is undermining the efforts of local residents who are complying with the regulations,” he added.Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Clr. David Simpson said recently: “If we do not all work together these restrictions are going to be in place for a lot longer than would otherwise be necessary.

“Council Officers in partnership with Dyfed-Powys Police will take enforcement action where it is clear that the regulations have been broken. Please stay home, follow the rules and help bring this virus under control.”

The coronavirus regulations include provisions for a fixed penalty notice, carrying a fine of £60; this is increased to £120 for a second offence and continues to double for repeated offences, up to a maximum of £1,920. If prosecuted, however, a court can impose any fine.

More people in the Hywel Dda area will start to be called in for Covid-19 vaccinations as a result of recent news that the new Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Thus far, Hywel Dda University Health Board has been provided more than 7,000 first vaccine doses, using the Pfizer vaccine since its approval earlier in December 2019.

Due to logistical constraints of the Pfizer vaccine, including storage, transportation and administration, this has been primarily provided to care home staff, and patient-facing NHS and care workers across the three counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

From next week the health board will receive, initially limited supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, but building up to far greater volumes through January.

The priority next week will be through a small number initially of GP practices, to call in the over 80s for vaccination locally, as well as continuing to vaccinate care home staff and NHS and care workers with the Pfizer vaccine supplies.

Work is ongoing in conjunction with primary care colleagues, so that by mid-January a growing number of GP practices across the three counties of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion will be calling patients in for the vaccine, as well as providing vaccination for more care home residents.

Health and care staff will continue to also be called in for vaccination in the mass centres in Carmarthen and Cardigan.

The health board is also working on setting up more community based vaccination centres to support health board and primary care delivery in Aberystwyth, Llanelli and Haverfordwest, as more vaccine doses are provided. Announcements will be made when details are finalised and the sites will be phased in according to logistical arrangements.

Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “This pandemic has been such a frightening time for our patients, communities and our NHS and care staff.

“We acknowledge there has been challenge also in starting what is the biggest mass vaccination programme the NHS has ever seen. But we are really pleased to have already vaccinated thousands of people in the Hywel Dda area.

“We are so grateful for the new hope the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine offers our communities. It is a far easier vaccine for us to take into our communities and we are grateful to all the teams working together to achieve and expand this programme.

“We would ask our communities to bear with us. Please don’t phone your GP or hospital to find out when your vaccine will be, but be reassured that they will call you in at the appropriate time. But also please get ready to accept the vaccine when you are offered it. It will offer you great protection from the disease that has so drastically affected all our lives.”

Dr Sion James, Deputy Medical Director for Primary Care and Community Services added: "This is an exciting time for Primary Care Contractors to be part of a historical vaccination programme, working collaboratively with our colleagues in the health board.

“We ask that patients wait until they are called to be vaccinated as we will be working through the JCVI priority groups to ensure fair and equitable access to the vaccine.”