Latest coronavirus update from Welsh Government

 

Latest coronavirus update from the Welsh Government (dated yesterday) is:

• Further COVID-19 testing for care home staff is beginning this week to help identify infectious individuals sooner and manage outbreaks more effectively, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has announced.
• The enhanced testing programme will involve the twice weekly testing of asymptomatic care home staff using rapid lateral flow test devices.
• This is in addition to the PCR tests, which are sent to a laboratory, currently undertaken by care home staff as part of a package of measures for preventing transmission of COVID-19 in care homes and protecting residents and staff which has been operating since June 2020.
• https://gov.wales/enhanced-covid-19-testing-introduced-care-homes 

• The Welsh Government is urging businesses to ensure they are registered for financial support to help them deal with the ongoing impacts of coronavirus: https://gov.wales/businesses-urged-register-financial-support
• The Welsh Government has written to the 130,000 people on the shielding patient list with updated advice
• Letter: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/inline-documents/2021-02/Letter%20to%20those%20who%20are%20Clinically%20Extremely%20Vulnerable%20%E2%80%93%20previously%20%E2%80%98shielding%E2%80%99.pdf
• Guidance for people who are classed as extremely clinically vulnerable: https://gov.wales/guidance-protecting-people-defined-medical-grounds-clinically-extremely-vulnerable-coronavirus .  

• Cwmbran recycling company Recresco is increasing its production and creating new jobs thanks to £250,000 support from Welsh Government: https://gov.wales/future-cwmbran-company-safeguarded-welsh-government-support
• Health Minister Vaughan Gething has published a written statement about the detailed and forensic investigation into three cases of the South African variant strain of coronavirus in Wales: https://gov.wales/written-statement-new-variants-concern-wales

Coronavirus in numbers

• The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 544 newly reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 194,525 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.
• Very sadly, there were 35 deaths reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 4,867.
• These figures are updated daily at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary

• The number of people who have received a Covid vaccine in Wales is being published every weekday by Public Health Wales.
• The latest figures show 490,570 people have received their first dose
• And 1,216 people have received two doses of the vaccine
• https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary 

What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus

• The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in smell or taste.
• If you have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days from when your symptoms started.
• Guidance about self-isolating: https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus
• Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
• You should arrange to have a test to see if you have coronavirus once you are self-isolating. You can book a test at https://gov.wales/apply-coronavirus-covid-19-test
• You should continue to isolate while waiting for a test result.
• Got a question about what to do if you’ve got coronavirus? Visit https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus 

Where to find the latest information

• Information about the new national measures in place in Wales is available at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4

• Public Health Wales provides a daily update about the number of cases of coronavirus in Wales. It is available at: https://covid19-phwstatement.nhs.wales/
• Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws
• Questions about Covid-19 vaccines? Visit: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/ and https://gov.wales/vaccine-coronavirus
• Information about support for businesses is available at the Business Wales website https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/
• The Welsh Government holds a regular media briefing about coronavirus. These are on-the-record, on-camera and supported by a BSL interpreter. These are held at 12.15pm, broadcast on BBC One Wales and live-streamed on our @WelshGovernment Twitter channel.