Author: Jordan McEvoy

In a coronavirus briefing on Friday 12th, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford gave some important updates on the ongoing pandemic. According to his briefing, COVID-19 transmission rates fell in every North Wales county except for on Anglesey. The county’s rate of positive test results was 11.5% higher than its neighbours Gwynedd and Conwy. Some areas – such as Deganwy/Llandudno Junction North, Kimmel Bay & Towyn, and Upper Colwyn Bay – have reported 0 new cases. This adds up to Wales’ coronavirus rate falling below 200 cases per 100,000 for the first time since early November, when the virus began peaking…

After over a year, demolition work is set to begin on two properties in Bangor which were ravaged by a fire. The buildings – Noodle One and Morgan’s clothes shop – were destroyed in a “catastrophic” fire in December 2019. Since that time, a large section of Bangor’s High Street has been closed off to traffic and barricaded with scaffolding which has remained there since the blaze occurred. Concern was raised over the impact the road’s closure would have on other businesses further down the High Street, such as the café Kyffin, numerous barber shops, and shops such as The…

Save The Student has released the findings of their survey investigating the effects of COVID-19 on students.  The survey has over 2,000 university respondents and illustrates how the pandemic has affected their lives. It also highlights student COVID statistics and university-to-student communication. While the statistics do not directly relate to Bangor University in all cases, the results of the survey certainly paints a picture for the impact the pandemic has had on the UK’s students. Note: statistics in this article are thanks to Save the Student. See their full report here: https://www.savethestudent.org/money/surveys/covid-19-student-survey-follow-up.html Statistics and concerns According to the Save The…

2020 has been a confusing and life-changing year for many. One of the groups largely impacted by the ongoing global pandemic is that of the student demographic, with virtual education being offered in lieu of physical sessions. But just how effective is online education, and what can be done to help students struggling during the pandemic and academic year? In a recent interview, Henry Williams, Bangor University’s Student’s Union President, mentioned the impact of the pandemic on students: “This is a year like no other, and under the challenging circumstances students are naturally feeling overwhelmed and anxious but I also…

The Welsh Government has asked for students studying in Wales to return home for Christmas by December 9th. The new plans were announced by Education Minister Kirsty Williams, and will allow students who have to self-isolate enough time to get home for Christmas Eve. According to her, the Government has “come up with the best possible solution to the difficult circumstances”, and that “we’re having to manage a whole series of firsts during this pandemic”. On the topic of those showing symptoms, Ms Williams emphasised that they “go and get themselves tested and also to abide by a period of…

Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net) (CC BY-SA 4.0) Bangor’s iconic North Wales Heroes Memorial, or Memorial Arch as it’s known more commonly, has received a new set of gates. The new gates were added to the Memorial in time for Remembrance Sunday, and comes just over 97 years after its initial opening. The North Wales Heroes Memorial was opened on November 1 1923 by Prince Edward, Prince of Wales. Within the Memorial, the names of 8,500 individuals from North Wales counties are inscribed, who died in active service during the Great War. Its location – just below the university’s Main…

Photo: N Chadwick (CC BY-SA 2.0) First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced Wales’ plans for when it exits the ‘firebreak’ lockdown on November 9th. Under the new rules, pubs, gyms, restaurants, and cafes will be allowed to reopen. A ‘group of four’ rule will be introduced, whereby groups of up to (but no more than) four people from different households will be allowed to meet indoors at these establishments. On the upcoming changes, Mr Drakeford said: “We have listened to those young people and single people who told us how important it is for them to meet some friends and…

Photo credit: Steve Daniels (CC BY-SA 4.0) A man has been charged with criminal damage and contravening Coronavirus regulations in Bangor’s Tesco Extra. Gwilym Owen, from Angelsey, tore down the plastic coverings of non-essential items following a new regulation which limited the types of items which can be sold in supermarkets.  Seen in a Facebook video, the maskless Mr Owen calls the new measures a ‘disgrace’ as he protests them. Following the incident, North Wales Police arrested and charged Mr Owen. He is scheduled to attend Caernarfon Crown Court on November 24th. Last week, the Welsh Government announced that supermarkets…

Earlier this month, Bangor University announced their plan for filling a £13m gap in their budget. Their foremost solution is a single word that has caused a flood of backlash, uncertainty and fear: redundancies.  With 200 of them on the horizon, staff and students can’t help but envision a disaster, despite university promises to protect the student experience. By compiling new interviews with the UCU trade union and the Bangor Students’ Union, in addition to surveys of student opinions and the latest statements from the university management, this report has been created to help answer the question on every student’s…

Photo by Richard Johnson (CC BY-SA 2.0) The Welsh Government have announced today that Wales is set to enter stricter lockdown restrictions from 6pm on Friday, October 23rd. The new rules will continue to be in place for two weeks – until Monday November 9th. The lockdown, noted as a ‘firebreak’ or ‘circuit breaker’, will see a return to restrictions put into action earlier this year. Under the upcoming rules, all pubs, restaurants, and non-essential shops will have to close. What are the new rules coming in on Friday 23rd?       People will have to stay at home…

(CC BY-SA 2.0) The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, has warned that Bangor could be considered for a hyper-local lockdown after a rise in positive coronavirus cases in Gwynedd. As part of his talks about planning for a “difficult winter” for Wales, an Incident Management team has been set up in Bangor.  The team will be providing reports and suggestions to the Welsh government as the pandemic continues. “The situation is still very fluid in Wales as it is across the UK and rest of Europe and the world, in fact, and we can’t rule out further…