Coronavirus updates from Welsh Government

Latest coronavirus updates from the Welsh Government are:

• The maximum fine for repeated breaches of the coronavirus lockdown rules in Wales will rise from £120 to £1,920, First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced.
• The increased fines are being introduced ahead of the bank holiday weekend and they follow a request from the four police forces in Wales and the Police and Crime Commissioners for increased penalties to help deter people from repeatedly breaching the stay-at-home regulations.
• https://gov.wales/fines-increased-repeat-coronavirus-lockdown-breaches-wales
• A new made-in-Wales antibody test is being introduced throughout the UK to tell whether people have had coronavirus.
• Wales – and the rest of the UK – will roll out the new-style blood tests, including those produced in Pencoed by Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (OCD).
• The company is one of a number to produce the antibody tests for the UK – it became involved after responding to a call to action to help with the coronavirus response from the First Minister and Life Sciences Hub Wales.
• https://gov.wales/new-made-wales-blood-test-coronavirus
• Health Minister Vaughan Gething has approved £650,000 to fund a new system to allow GPs, paramedics and other healthcare professionals to get immediate specialist advice when reviewing and treating patients.
• The Consultant Connect app has been fast-tracked for use in NHS Wales to help deal with the Covid-19 outbreak and support primary care in the long term to offer better advice and guidance to patients.
• https://gov.wales/new-app-provide-specialist-advice-gps-seconds
• £30m will be invested in improving public transport and encouraging economic growth, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has announced.
• Wales’ 22 local authorities were invited to submit proposals to Welsh Government’s Local Transport Grant funding to deliver projects which will:
• support economic priorities for jobs and growth
• reduce economic inactivity by delivering safe and affordable access to education, key services and employment, particularly for those living in disadvantaged or rural communities
• connect communities
• encourage active and sustainable travel
• improve public transport reliability and reduce journey times
• https://gov.wales/substantial-investment-improve-public-transport-and-support-economic-growth-announced
• How Wales created 19 new field hospitals in less than eight weeks… https://gov.wales/how-wales-created-19-new-field-hospitals-less-8-weeks  
• Professional sport and coronavirus https://gov.wales/written-statement-professional-sport-and-coronavirus
• The Wales Tourism Business Barometer 2020 https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2020-05/tourism-barometer-coronavirus-covid-19-impact-survey-wave-3-2020.pdf

• Public Health Wales has today confirmed a further 166 cases of coronavirus in Wales today bringing the total number of cases to 12,846 – the real figure will be much higher.
• Sadly, there were a further nine deaths reported by Public Health Wales today, bringing the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths reported by Public Health Wales to 1,247.

Where to find the latest information

• Public Health Wales provides a daily update about the number of cases of coronavirus in Wales. It is available at: https://phw.nhs.wales/news/public-health-wales-statement-on-novel-coronavirus-outbreak/
• Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws
• Queries about support for businesses, including about eligibility for the Economic Resilience Fund? Visit the Business Wales website https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/
• If you can help the effort to produce PPE in Wales please visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/news-and-blogs/news/provision-critical-equipment-and-personal-protection-equipment-ppe
• The Welsh Government holds a daily media briefing about coronavirus. These are on-the-record, on-camera and routinely supported by a BSL translator. They will be held at 12.30pm every week day. They are live-streamed on our @WelshGovernment Twitter channel and are broadcast live on BBC One Wales and S4C.
• Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, held today’s press conference – you can watch again at: https://twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1263431858894721024