Coronavirus update from Welsh Government

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

• Join with us, and help to become part of the solution by taking the vaccine and encouraging others in your communities to do so – Health Minister Vaughan Gething and Deputy Minister Jane Hutt’s message to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities in Wales: https://gov.wales/join-us-and-help-become-part-solution-taking-vaccine-and-encouraging-others-your-communities-do-so
• The Welsh Government has taken the Wales and Borders rail franchise into public ownership to protect services, safeguard jobs, and deliver infrastructure improvements in light of the ongoing challenges of coronavirus: https://gov.wales/welsh-rail-franchise-now-public-ownership
• £29m extra support for further education students to help them complete their vocational qualifications this summer: https://gov.wales/29-million-extra-support-further-education-students
• Need help paying your mortgage during the pandemic? https://gov.wales/problems-paying-your-mortgage-during-coronavirus-pandemic 

Coronavirus in numbers

• The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 610 newly reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 196,670 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.
• Very sadly, there were 12 deaths reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 5,001.
• 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 603,976 people have received their first dose
• And 2,792 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.

o   Health Minister Vaughan Gething held today’s press conference. You can watch again at: https://twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1358751653277495296

o   The slides used in today’s press conference are available at: https://gov.wales/slides-and-datasets-minister-health-and-social-services-coronavirus-briefing-8-february-2021

Prostate cancer support group gets its own website

* The support group's new website.

The Llangollen Prostate Cancer Support Group has started its own website to get its message of support across to the public during the pandemic.

This was announced on Facebook yesterday with a post which says: "The Group was established nearly 10 years ago to provide support and information to men diagnosed with prostate cancer and other prostate related problems.

"We used to meet every month at the Hand Hotel but because of the pandemic it has not been possible to hold face to face meetings for some time.

"Prostate Cancer UK, in recognising that this affected similar Support Groups up and down the country, paid for Zoom licences so that groups could hold virtual meetings with their members.

"Our Group in Llangollen took advantage of this and we now continue to hold Zoom meetings on the third Wednesday of the month.

"However, because of the pandemic it has been difficult to attract new members and make them aware of the Group and provide the support they and their families may need.

"We have publicity leaflets but, in the current circumstances, are unable to distribute them to Health Centres, GP Surgeries and the Urology Department of Maelor Hospital.

"Therefore we have now developed a website that provides a lot of useful information about the Group so if you know of anyone who has been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer or has had the disease for some time but who would like some support and someone to talk to then do tell them to visit: https://llangollenpcsg.co.uk

Essential work to begin on A5 River Ceiriog Viaduct

 

Essential work is due to take place on the A5 River Ceiriog Viaduct to replace the major bridge deck movement joint.

The works, which are being carried out in consultation with Highways England, will begin on February 22 and are programmed to take eight days. Built in 1990, the viaduct spans 500m from the northern side of the Ceiriog Valley in Wales to its southern side in England.  After 30 years, the large expansion joint at the southern end of the viaduct is reaching the end of its operational life and must be replaced. The works will include the demolition and re-construction of the reinforced concrete viaduct where it joins its support on the southern side of the Ceiriog Valley.  Planned routine maintenance and bridge investigation works will also take place to make the most of the closure.  Highways England will also carry out work on their section of the road between the southern end of the viaduct and the Gledrid roundabout. The A5 will be closed over a length of 3.6km between the Halton and Gledrid roundabouts for the duration of the work, with traffic diverted through the town of Chirk along the B5070. Temporary traffic lights will be installed on the B5070 Chirk Road bridge over the River Ceiriog.  The bridge must be restricted to single lane working for the duration of the works to ensure that the bridge can carry heavier vehicles without being over-loaded. To minimise disruption the work will be carried out 24 hours a day at a time of year when traffic flows are historically lower.  The work site is small enough to be protected against the worst of the winter weather, reducing the risk of adverse weather delaying the completion of the project. Road users can find out the latest traffic information and project updates on the Traffic Wales website or Twitter channel. The planning for this work has been agreed with Wrexham and Shropshire Councils. Transport Minister Ken Skates said:  “It is essential that this work is carried out to maintain the condition of the A5 River Ceiriog Viaduct. Every effort is being made to minimise disruption as much as possible and to complete the work as quickly as possible. “Planned full closures of carriageways are never taken unless they are absolutely necessary, but the safety of the travelling public is paramount and this work needs to take place to ensure that. “I would urge the travelling public to follow the diversion route signage while this work is in progress, and I thank them and local residents for their co-operation and patience.”

Petition started to remove Castle Street bollards

* The bollards along Castle Street.

An online petition has been started to remove the temporary bollards and lane defenders on Castle Street.

The temporary measures, along one side of Llangollen's main street where the butchers, bakers and charity shops are located, were put in place last November as part of Local Sustainable Transport scheme to ensure adequate pedestrian space for Covid-19 social distancing.

Parking along the opposite side of the street was temporarily banned at the same time.

However, the bollards and defenders have proved to be unpopular with some local residents and traders.

Ruthin rejected similar measures last week following resistance from the local Member Area Group.

Similar plans for Denbigh were shelved after public opposition to the idea.

Today, a petition to remove the bollards has been started by former town mayor and county councillor Stuart Davies who over the weekend announced his intention to stand for the vacant town council seat at a by-election on March 18.

By mid-afternoon today (Monday) it had been signed by 47 people.  

The petition, on Change.org http://chng.it/NhwVcbYC and intended to be passed to Denbighshire County Council's chief executive, says: "The changes brought in to Castle Street in Llangollen came about as a result of a flawed initial consultation with Denbighshire County Council.

"There was a lack of community awareness on the plans once published and how to respond to them once they were made public.

"Since implementation of the scheme its impact has been clearly evident with the complete loss of parking for the disabled, as well as the loss of any loading bay facilities on the high street.

"The ability for local residents to pop and shop has been lost impacting Castle Street businesses when they have been able to open.

"There are reports that people have been injured.

"The justification for social distancing is not warranted at a time of low footfall and lockdown.

"The measures taken over a 300m stretch of road have no significant impact on the aims of improving active travel.

"The lane defenders/bollards and associated fitting are unsightly and should be removed."

Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, who supported the Sustainable Transport measures, has been asked for a comment.  

North Wales people urged to stop the spread of coronavirus

Communities across north Wales are being urged to stop the spread of coronavirus and help keep the region safe.

As new, more contagious, variants of Covid-19 are identified, the region’s health board, emergency services and local authorities have come together to make a public appeal for everyone to stick to the rules and help stop it spreading.

In a new video released this week https://www.facebook.com/264430120246051/videos/1161407884295432 three people share their personal experiences of the impact of Covid-19 on their lives.

Dr Chris Stockport, Executive Director for Primary Care and Community Services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), said: “If people ignore the rules and just do as they please, the virus will keep spreading. More people of all ages will get sick, putting more pressure on hospitals, ambulance and public services.

“On behalf of the partner organisations in north Wales, I’m urging all residents to keep up their efforts, stick to the rules and help stop the spread.”

The number of cases of Covid-19 is slowly reducing in north Wales, but new variants are circulating and if we do not take extra care, they will continue to spread.

The North Wales Contract Tracing Service is reporting more cases where whole households are now contracting Covid-19, and the Health Board has confirmed that at least 16 people under the age of 40 have needed critical care in north Wales hospitals to date. Covid-19 can affect any age group.

A joint statement by the agencies says: "The message is clear - stick to rules and help stop the spread.

"It is more important than ever that we all stay at home, meet only the people we live with, stay at least two metres away from everyone else, wash our hands regularly, and work from home if we can. Wear a face covering where required, or where you can’t maintain a social distance.

"If you or a member of your household develop symptoms such as a cough, fever or a change in sense of taste or smell, you must self-isolate immediately and book a free test at https://gov.wales/getting-tested-coronavirus-covid-19 or https://llyw.cymru/cael-prawf-coronafeirws-covid-19

Former mayor to stand in election for town council vacancy

* Stuart Davies is to stand for the vacant town council seat. 

One of the area's best-known politicians is bidding to make a council chamber comeback.

Former Llangollen town mayor and local county councillor Stuart Davies has declared his intention to stand as an independent in a by-election for the vacant seat on the Town Council on March 18.

He was mayor in 1998 and served as one of the two county councillors for Llangollen, first from 2004-2008 and again from 2012-2017.

The vacancy he is contesting occurred as a result of the resignation of George Hughes last October. 

Announcing his candidature well in advance of the closing date for nominations of February 19, he gave a statement of his aims if elected which he said are: 

"To restore the voice of the people of Llangollen in the council chamber and hold to account our county councillors.

"Resolve the issues with the provision of waste disposal and recycling facilities, working with Phil Jones and his excellent petition to ensure the wishes of 900 residents are respected.

"Ensure that the proposals for change to Llangollen by the 2020 group have full and thorough public consultation and take into account the current views of the community.

"The potholes are a result of 2020 delays, so I will ensure a proper community based public consultation is put in place quickly that isn’t simply a paper exercise that endorses the 2020 plan."

He added: "Basically its about waste, bollards, potholes and parking and taking back control for the residents."

* So far Mr Davies is the only candidate to announce his intention to stand to llanblogger and we would be happy to highlight any further nominations. 

Health centre vaccinates 1,200 70-79s over weekend

Llangollen Health Centre has been on Facebook to give an update on its busy weekend vaccinating scores of people aged 70 to 79.

The post last night said: "Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments about our vaccination clinic this weekend.  

"It takes a lot of work and all the thank-yous and gestures of appreciation really lift the team and help us to keep going. It’s so good to be able to do something positive! 

"These clinics are a huge community effort. Not just health centre staff are involved, there are many volunteers who are all fabulous. We have vaccinated just short of 1200 patients this weekend."