Coronavirus update from Welsh Government

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

• Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has unveiled a final Budget with plans to protect public services and the Welsh economy, providing timely support to protect lives and livelihoods in the months ahead.
• Building on the £320m reconstruction package announced last October, this Budget delivers a further injection of £224.5m capital funding to support our reconstruction efforts and stimulate demand and jobs.
• This investment includes an additional £147m to ramp up housing programmes and an extra £30m to accelerate the ambitious 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, helping to support economic growth, sustainable jobs and training opportunities across the sector.
• A Budget to protect public services and the economy: https://gov.wales/a-budget-to-protect-public-services-and-boost-wales-economy
• Local government settlement: https://gov.wales/written-statement-final-local-government-settlement-2021-22
• Vaccination weekly update: https://gov.wales/covid-19-vaccination-programme-weekly-update-2-march-2021
• Latest Coronavirus Infection Survey results: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-infection-survey 

Coronavirus in numbers

• The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 170 newly reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 203,988 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.
• Sadly, there was one further death reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 5,344.
• 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 933,485 people have received their first dose.
• And 111,716 people have received two doses of the vaccine.
• https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary
• If you think you’ve been missed off the vaccine appointment list: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-if-you-think-you-have-been-missed
• The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today published statistics on provisional weekly deaths, including deaths involving Covid-19, for the week ending 19 February 2021.
• The total number of deaths involving Covid-19 in Welsh residents up to 19 February was 7,458.
• Of the deaths registered in the week ending 19 February, there were provisionally 179 involving Covid-19 in Welsh residents. This was 37 fewer than the previous week.
• The number of registered deaths involving Covid has declined for five successive weeks.
• For the period 29 February 2020 to 19 February 2021, there were a total of 5,541 excess deaths (17%) above the five-year average. The excess death rate for Wales was lower than in England.
• The numbers reported by ONS are different from those from Public Health Wales because of different reporting methods and timing. The ONS figures are higher because they include some extra cases.
• https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/latest

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 and the roadmap in and out of alert levels is at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-control-plan-alert-levels-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
• Want to join Wales’ vaccination team? https://gov.wales/join-covid-19-vaccination-team
• If you think you’ve been missed off the vaccine appointment list: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-if-you-think-you-have-been-missed
• 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.