January 08, 2021 - 982 views
People travelling to Snowdon and Snowdonia from outside their home area are being told to stay away.
To reinforce that instruction, the Snowdonia National Park Authority have announced this morning that they are immediately shutting down parking facilities.
As the pandemic reaches a new high point in infection rates and a new variant of the virus is spreading so quickly, local authorities want to emphasise the need to avoid any unnecessary travel.
Following an increase in examples of people disregarding current Welsh Government guidelines that all of Wales is in lockdown (alert level 4), the Snowdonia National Park Authority have decided to close all of their car parks.
The decision has been made to protect our communities and the health services in North Wales, especially as the new variant of the disease is spreading so quickly.
We want to support the message that exercise must start and finish from home and to avoid any activities that could put extra pressure on the emergency services.
Wyn Ellis Jones Snowdonia National Park Authority Chairman said: “It’s a crucial time in relation to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s our priority to protect Snowdonia’s communities.
"Because of the high volume of people seen ignoring government regulations in Snowdonia since Christmas, we have decided to take urgent measures to support the Welsh Government’s message to avoid any unnecessary travel.
"We hope that people will take personal responsibility for their actions and will voluntarily follow the current government guidelines.”
Nigel Harrison, Temporary North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable said:
“We understand that people want to go outside to enjoy the mountains and snow, however this is a national emergency and we will continue to work with our National Park colleagues to ensure that Welsh Government restrictions around essential travel are adhered to.
“The restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus are there to protect us all. It is vital that everyone takes personal responsibility by staying home unless they have a valid reason not to be there.
“People should not think of ways of circumventing the law. The police should not be needed to reinforce common sense.
“We will not stand-by and allow blatant breaches of the legislation to happen across our communities. We will of course engage with the public and explain the legislation, and encourage people to take personal responsibility for their own safety and that of others.
"If, however, people continue to flout the regulations, demonstrate a blatant disregard for the health warnings and put significant strain on already stretched resources, we will take action.
“It is not acceptable to pick and choose the law you follow and the laws you don’t. We all know the law by now and know exactly what is the right thing to do. This is not a dress rehearsal, people will live and die on the actions we all choose.”
