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16 Tachwedd 2020 16 November 2020
gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972
Inside: The influential women in Welsh history we should all know about (page 22)
Students in Wales told to return home for Christmas by December 9 Tirion Davies
Editor-in-Chief
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tudents in Wales hoping to return home for the Christmas period have been told they will need to travel by 9 December at the latest. Those returning home will be offered new, rapid turnaround tests 24-hours before they return home, and the Welsh Government has announced teaching will need to cease by December 8. For students who find their test is positive, they will be able to travel after the 9 December deadline, as there is a priority to self-isolate and combat the virus, so that they do not cause a surge in infection rates. A similar announcement was made in England, though there will be a need for students at English universities to use a “time slot” to return home. Students at English universities have been told they will be given a week to travel, between 3 December and 9 December, after the end of their current lockdown. Minister for Welsh Education Kirsty Williams, has noted, as reported by the BBC, “many students will wish to return home for the Christmas break and I’m pleased to confirm arrangements to enable that”. Though it has been rumoured that students in England wishing to return home for Christmas will begin testing from November 30, it has not yet been announced as to whether the same might happen for Welsh students. The West Government has announced, however, that new COVID-19 lateral flow tests will be provided to students who are travelling home – although the beginning date for these testing measures has not been confirmed – and that inperson teaching will need to end by December 3. Since the beginning of the Autumn term in September at universities across the UK, there has been a significant spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases amongst
young people. Cardiff University Talybont Halls of Residences saw an outbreak of COVID-19 soon after students returned in September. Since then, Senghennydd Halls of Residences and many in student housing have reported they have tested positive. As more and more students tested positive, Cardiff was placed in to a local lockdown until First Minister Mark Drakeford announced Wales would be entering a ‘firebreak’ twoweek lockdown, to reduce the number of cases across Wales. There is a belief that this system of testing and isolating ahead of returning home for Christmas will not only lessen the number of positive cases here in Wales, but also help stop the spread of the virus beyond university hotspots. But what exactly are the plans for students returning home for Christmas? Students returning home are being asked to reduce their contacts before the end of term, get a test “ideally 24-hours” before returning home, plan to travel no later than December 9, and “familiarise themselves” with university plans for ending in-person lectures so that they can leave campus safely. It means that many students may choose to isolate for a two-week period before the end of term, to ensure their COVID-19 rapid tests will be negative. New asymptomatic testing facilities will be available at “participating universities in Wales” within the next few weeks, the Welsh Government has announced. There is an aim that all universities across Wales will participate in the testing, but ministers are still attempting to see how feasible this may be. The Welsh Government has further stated it has worked closely with the other four nations of the UK to ensure similar messages are being expressed to other students, and that it will attempt to communicate directly with Welsh students at English universities to ensure they are aware of the new regulations.
COVID-19 vaccine: A new COVID-19 vaccine has been developed that has shown to be 90% effective amongst the case studies. Source: Tmaximumge (via pxhere)
COVID-19 vaccine shown to be 90% effective Holly Giles
Head of Science and Technology
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new COVID-19 vaccine has been tested on over 43,000 patients and is seen to be 90% effective in 94 volunteers. The vaccine has been shown to be successful in preliminary studies, and has been tested on participants in six countries around the world, and is now
being described as both safe and effective. Though this is not the first COVID-19 vaccine to be trialled - there are over 10 prototypes in the final stages of clinical trials - this is the first new vaccine to show significant results. The team is beginning trials to discover whether the vaccine can provide long-term protection against COVID-19, as it is yet to be determined how long the protection lasts or if it decreas-
es over time. The vaccine marks a significant lead in the fight against COVID-19, and is far more successful than any vaccine we have yet to see. The UK Government have reportedly ordered 3m doses of this new vaccine for citizens. Turn to page 18 to read more about the new vaccine, its challenges, and when it will be available in the 18 UK.
Kamala Harris i COVID-19 cases A discussion with Siôn Jobbins ddod yn Is-Arlywydd in Wales 'plateau' Hallum Cowell Head of Politics
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air Rhydd spoke to Siôn Jobbins, leader of the pro-Welsh Independence group YesCymru following a sharp uptick in support for the group in recent weeks. Jobbins told us how he sees Scotland's potential departure from the UK as a turning point for Wales, Westminster being seen as a "gentlemen's club" and what the future may hold for Wales and the UK over the next few years. To read about the rise in numbers for YesCymru over the year, and what the future holds for Welsh politics, turn to page 10. 10
Nel Richards
Golygydd Taf-od
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ythnos diwethaf, clywon ni sôn bod Joe Biden wedi ennill Arlywyddiaeth yr UDA, ac y byddai Kamala Harris yn ddod yn Is-Arlywydd America. Ond pam bod Is-Arlywyddiaeth Kamala Harris mor bwysig i Americanwyr heddiw? Kamala Harris yw'r menyw cyntaf, a'r menyw o hil wahanol cyntaf i ennill yr Is-Arlywyddiaeth ers yr etholiad cyntaf. A yw hyn yn olygu newid i hen arferion yr UDA? I ddarllen yn fwy am bwysigrwydd Kamala Harris yn ennill y swydd fel Is-Arlywydd yr UDA, trowch i dudalen 6 Taf-od. 6
Luthien Evans News Editor
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s of November 9, the number of COVID-19 cases in Wales have begun 'plateauing', according to First Minister Mark Drakeford. The announcement comes after Wales moves out of the 'fire-break' lockdown, which was implemented for two weeks. The effects of this 'fire-break' lockdown is expected to be found in the coming weeks, and will aid Ministers in deciding if another lockdown is necessary To read about the rise in COVID-19 cases since November 9, turn to page 3. 3