"We must do all we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones"

This festive period is, unfortunately, like nothing any of us have experienced before.

We are facing an extremely serious situation as this new strain of coronavirus is significantly more infectious and is spreading more quickly than the original one.

The pattern of rapid transmission in London and the south east of England is remarkably consistent with what is happening in all areas of Wales, which suggests the new strain is present in our communities.

As a result, the First Minister took the difficult decision to act immediately and bring forward the planned move to alert level 4 in Wales, imposing the stricter restrictions from midnight on Saturday, December 19.

I understand this news was unwelcome and disappointing to most. This year has been long and challenging but people need to realise this latest announcement demonstrates just how serious the situation still is.

Clearly, the decision to move to alert level 4 straight away was not taken lightly. No minister or government wants to enforce these tight restrictions on our lives, but it is needed in order to save lives, protect the health service and control the spread of this dreadful virus.

The Welsh Government has also announced people who were previously shielding are being advised to no longer attend work or school outside the home, and the first formal review of the regulations will take place on January 7. Everyone needs to be careful, cautious and responsible this Christmas. We must do all we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones to help keep Wrexham and Wales safe.

I have long-championed Wrexham as the ideal location for a National Football Museum. Earlier this month, I received an update on its progress and despite the challenges created by Covid-19, I’m pleased the Welsh Government is pressing ahead with its plans.

A business plan and case for investment was completed during the summer and its recommendations are currently being considered by the steering group, with particular focus on maximising the available space in the Wrexham Museum building.

The town has always been the rightful home of Welsh football and the impending takeover of Wrexham AFC by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has helped raise our footballing profile furthermore onto a truly global scale.

Coupled with the Wrexham Gateway project, there is an opportunity to achieve something truly special and transformative for the town. Establishing the museum and securing the investment would be a major boost and I determined to see this project come to life.

In spite of the troubling times, I wish all Leader readers a happy and healthy New Year.