Updates on Covid-19 from Welsh Government

Latest Covid-19 updates from the Welsh Government, dated yesterday) are: 

• Help us to help you this winter urges Health Minister Eluned Morgan as more funding to relieve pressures and help the NHS and social care this winter is announced: https://gov.wales/help-us-help-you-winter-minister-health-and-social-services-eluned-morgan
• Watch the Health Minister’s press briefing: https://mobile.twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1480871914037919745
• Written Statement: COVID-19 Vaccination – Progress against Strategy: https://gov.wales/written-statement-covid-19-vaccination-progress-against-strategy-4
• Vaccination programme weekly update: https://gov.wales/covid-19-vaccination-programme-weekly-update-11-january-2022
• The Chief Statistician Stephanie Howarth has published a blog article about understanding Covid-19 infection rates in Wales following changes to testing policing in Wales – most people who have a positive lateral flow test no longer need to take a follow-up PCR test to confirm the result: https://digitalanddata.blog.gov.wales/2022/01/11/chief-statisticians-update-understanding-covid-19-infection-rates-in-wales/
• School performance reporting updates: Covid-19 update: https://gov.wales/school-performance-reporting-arrangements-covid-19-update
• Technical Advisory Cell summary of latest advice: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2022-01/technical-advisory-cell-summary-of-advice-7-january-2022.pdf
• Travelling to Wales – testing and isolation: https://gov.wales/travel-wales-covid-19-testing-and-isolation

 

• The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today published statistics on provisional weekly deaths, including deaths involving Covid-19, for the week ending 31 December 2021. These figures will have been affected by the Christmas bank holidays.
• The total number of deaths involving Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic was 9,222.
• Of these, 24 deaths involving Covid-19 were registered in the latest week. This was 4% of all deaths, and 25 fewer than the previous week.
• 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

 

Coronavirus in numbers

• The latest figures published by Public Health Wales show there were 2,176 newly-reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 729,662 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.
• Important note: On January 6, testing policy changed in Wales – people who test positive on a lateral flow test no longer have to take a follow-up PCR test to confirm the result. This is likely to reduce the overall number of reported cases by about 10%, based on analyses linking lateral flow tests to PCR positive episodes. See also: https://digitalanddata.blog.gov.wales/2022/01/11/chief-statisticians-update-understanding-covid-19-infection-rates-in-wales/

• There were four deaths reported by Public Health Wales. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 6,654.
• These figures are updated daily at: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection/viz/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary   

• The number of people who have received a Covid vaccine in Wales is published every weekday by Public Health Wales.
• The latest figures show 2,497,658 people have received their first dose.

• 2,328,295 people have had two doses of the vaccine.
• To date, 1,740,099 people have had their booster dose of the vaccine.
• https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection/viz/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary
• For more information about getting your Covid-19 vaccine: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination
• Can you support the vaccination programme? More information for NHS staff and volunteers at: https://heiw.nhs.wales/jobs/nhs-wales-covid-19-vaccination-team-returning-healthcare-professionals/

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 up to 10 days from when your symptoms started.
• Guidance about self-isolating: https://gov.wales/self-isolation
• 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.
   

Where to find the latest information

• Wales is at alert level two. More information is available at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-2
• Alert level two: frequently asked questions: https://gov.wales/alert-level-2-frequently-asked-questions
• Our latest Coronavirus Control Plan, setting out the longer-term plan for Wales is at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-control-plan-autumn-and-winter-2021-update  
• Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws
• For more information about getting your Covid-19 vaccine: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination
• Can you support the vaccination programme? More information for NHS staff and volunteers at: https://heiw.nhs.wales/jobs/nhs-wales-covid-19-vaccination-team-returning-healthcare-professionals/