Public Health Wales statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

This statement will be updated daily at 2pm

Updated: 2:00pm Thursday 23 July

Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:

 “We continue to caution and remind the public and business-owners that we all have a vital role in preventing the spread of Coronavirus by always sticking to social distancing guidelines - staying two metres away from others, and washing hands regularly. When travelling you should also avoid car sharing with people outside your household.

"Anyone with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 infection - a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss of smell or taste (anosmia) - must self-isolate and seek an urgent test.

"Confirmed cases must isolate for seven days, with members of their household isolating for 14 days until the risk of passing on further infection has gone. Combined, these simple but effective actions will ensure the virus does not spread.

Updates on current incidents

“Public Health Wales and our multi-agency partners have been investigating four laboratory confirmed cases of Coronavirus associated with the Zorba Delicacies Ltd food processing plant in Ebbw Vale. 

“Close contacts of confirmed cases have been contacted through the Test, Trace, Protect process and provided with additional advice for themselves, household and other contacts.

“An Outbreak Control Team was convened to look at the outbreak associated with the workforce at Rowan Foods, and part of its work is to constantly review its data on cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

“As part of this process we are investigating cases within the Wrexham area through the Test Trace Protect process. This work naturally includes identifying where we believe transmission may be occurring, and identifying local clusters of cases.

“The outbreak associated with the workforce at the Rowan Foods plant in Wrexham remains active, although the number of reported cases has slowed down considerably.

“As of 22 July, the total number of positive cases associated with this outbreak is 313, which is a small increase of four since Wednesday 15 July. There is no evidence that these infections were acquired either onsite or that the infection is factory-based.

“We will continue to analyse the data to ensure we are taking appropriate and timely decisions to bring the outbreak to a close.

“Following an Incident Management Team meeting on Wednesday 22 July, we have recorded a small number of additional positive cases identified at the Kepak Merthyr meat processing plant, with the total now standing at 141 positive cases since April.

“This is not unexpected; although there are low levels of infection in the community, the infection has not entirely gone away and more cases should be expected before we are able to eradicate infection. In addition, focused testing as part of the management of clusters and outbreaks of Coronavirus will inevitably identify new cases

“If we look at other data such as hospital admissions or bio surveillance indicators, there is no evidence of a surge of infections in the wider community in Merthyr. 

“It is too early to draw precise conclusions, but our monitoring does show a historic correlation between levels of infection in the plant and previous background levels of infection in the wider community. There is no evidence to suggest any ongoing transmission in the plant.

“The Incident Management Team’s investigations are continuing. No outbreak has been declared but all necessary investigations and control measures are being undertaken.

“The Food Standards Agency advise that it is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food.  Coronavirus is a respiratory illness.  It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging.

Contact tracing and general information

“Contact tracing continues in Wales as part of the Welsh Government’s Test, Trace, Protect strategy.  Anyone who has a positive Coronavirus test will be contacted by a team of contact tracers, and asked for details of everyone they have had close contact with while they have had symptoms.

“Please keep a note of your activities so you can easily remember your whereabouts on a given day, along with who you were in contact with.

“If you are asked to self-isolate, you should also comply with this request to prevent further spread of the virus.

“Tracers are trained staff and personal information that you provide will handled in line with data protection regulations and will not be shared widely.

“Further information about the symptoms of Coronavirus is available on the Public Health Wales website, or members of the public can use the NHS Wales symptom checker.

“Anyone experiencing Coronavirus symptoms can apply for a home testing kit by visiting www.gov.wales/coronavirus, or by calling the national 119 phone service.

“Anyone with suspected coronavirus should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.  They should only contact NHS 111 if they feel they cannot cope with their symptoms at home, their condition gets worse, or their symptoms do not get better after seven days.

“Only call 999 if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, do not call 999 just because you are on hold to 111. We appreciate that 111 lines are busy, but you will get through after a wait.”

“Public Health Wales’ user-friendly data dashboard takes information from a range of different sources.  The total number of positive cases now includes those reported from non-NHS Wales laboratories, which are subject to ongoing de-duplication, refinement and reconciliation.  This may result in fluctuation of the total positive cases as this process takes place.

“It should be noted that the cases from non-NHS Wales laboratories are not new cases, and have been on the dashboard for a number of weeks.  They have previously been reported on a separate tab, but are now incorporated into the totals for the local authority area and Health Board area in which the patient resides, to give a complete picture for Wales.

Diweddarwyd: 2:00yp Dydd Iau 23 Gorffennaf

Dywedodd Dr Robin Howe, Cyfarwyddwr Digwyddiad ar gyfer yr ymateb i'r achos o'r Coronafeirws Newydd (COVID-19) yn Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru:

“Rydym yn parhau i rybuddio ac atgoffa’r cyhoedd a pherchenogion busnes fod gennym ni i gyd rôl bwysig i’w chwarae wrth atal lledaeniad Coronafeirws trwy lynu wrth ganllawiau cadw pellter cymdeithasol bob amser – sicrhau eich bod yn cadw dau fetr oddi wrth bobl eraill a golchi eich dwylo yn rheolaidd. Wrth deithio, dylech hefyd osgoi rhannu ceir â phobl y tu allan i'ch cartref.

“Rhaid i unrhyw un yr amheuir bod ganddynt symptomau COVID-19, sef tymheredd uchel, peswch newydd a pharhaus neu golli synnwyr blasu neu arogli (anosmia), hunanynysu a chael prawf ar unwaith.

“Rhaid i achosion a gaiff eu cadarnhau ynysu am 7 diwrnod, a rhaid i aelodau o’u cartref ynysu am 14 diwrnod hyd nes bod y perygl o drosglwyddo’r haint ymhellach wedi mynd. Gyda’i gilydd, bydd y camau syml ond effeithiol hyn yn sicrhau nad yw’r feirws yn lledaenu.

Diweddariadau ar ddigwyddiadau cyfredol

“Mae Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru a’n partneriaid aml-asiantaeth wedi bod yn ymchwilio i bedwar achos labordy a gadarnhawyd o Coronafeirws sy’n gysylltiedig â safle prosesu bwyd Zorba Delicacies Ltd yng Nglyn Ebwy. 

“Cysylltwyd â chysylltiadau agos yr achosion a gadarnhawyd trwy’r broses Profi, Olrhain, Diogelu a rhoddwyd cyngor ychwanegol iddyn nhw, aelodau o’u cartrefi a chysylltiadau eraill.

“Galwyd Tîm Rheoli Achosion ynghyd i edrych ar yr achos a oedd yn gysylltiedig â’r gweithlu yn Rowan Foods, a rhan o’i waith yw adolygu’n barhaus ei ddata ar yr achosion o haint Coronafeirws Newydd (COVID-19).

“Fel rhan o’r broses hon, rydym yn ymchwilio i achosion yn ardal Wrecsam trwy’r broses Profi Olrhain Diogelu. Yn naturiol, mae’r gwaith hwn yn cynnwys nodi ymhle rydym yn credu y gallai trosglwyddo fod yn digwydd, a nodi clystyrau lleol o achosion.

“Mae’r achosion sy’n gysylltiedig â’r gweithlu yn safle Rowan Foods yn Wrecsam yn parhau, er bod nifer yr achosion yr adroddwyd amdanynt wedi arafu’n sylweddol.

“Ar 22 Gorffennaf, cyfanswm yr achosion positif sy’n gysylltiedig â’r achos hwn yw 313, sy’n gynnydd bach o bedwar ers dydd Mercher 15 Gorffennaf. Nid oes tystiolaeth y cafodd yr unigolion hyn eu heintio ar y safle neu fod yr haint wedi tarddu o’r ffatri.

“Byddwn yn parhau i ddadansoddi’r data i sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud penderfyniadau priodol ac amserol i ddod â’r achos i ben.

“Yn dilyn cyfarfod y Tîm Rheoli Digwyddiadau ddydd Mercher 22 Gorffennaf, rydym wedi cofnodi nifer bach o achosion positif ychwanegol a nodwyd yn ffatri prosesu cig Kepak ym Merthyr, bellach mae cyfanswm o 141 o achosion positif ers mis Ebrill.

“Nid yw hyn yn annisgwyl; er bod lefelau’r haint yn isel yn y gymuned, nid yw'r haint wedi diflannu yn llwyr a dylid disgwyl mwy o achosion cyn y gallwn gael gwared ar yr haint yn gyfan gwbl. Yn ogystal, mae'n anochel y bydd profi â ffocws fel rhan o reoli clystyrau ac achosion o Coronafeirws yn nodi achosion newydd.

“Os edrychwn ar ddarnau eraill o ddata, megis derbyniadau i'r ysbyty neu ddangosyddion bio-oruchwylio, nid oes tystiolaeth o ymchwydd o bobl sydd wedi’u heintio yn y gymuned ehangach ym Merthyr. 

“Mae'n rhy gynnar i ddod i gasgliadau manwl gywir, ond mae ein monitro'n dangos cydberthynas hanesyddol rhwng lefel yr haint ar y safle a lefel flaenorol yr haint yn y gymuned ehangach. Nid oes tystiolaeth i awgrymu bod trosglwyddiad parhaus yn digwydd ar y safle.

“Mae ymchwiliadau’r Tîm Rheoli Digwyddiadau yn parhau. Ni ddatganwyd bod achosion yn mynd ar led yn y gymuned, ond mae'r holl ymchwiliadau a mesurau rheoli angenrheidiol yn cael eu cynnal.

“Mae’r Asiantaeth Safonau Bwyd yn cynghori ei bod yn annhebygol iawn y gallwch ddal coronafeirws o fwyd.  Mae Coronafeirws yn salwch anadlol.  Ni ystyrir ei fod yn cael ei drosglwyddo trwy ddod i gysylltiad â deunyddiau pacio bwyd na bwyd.

Olrhain cysylltiadau a gwybodaeth gyffredinol

“Mae olrhain cysylltiadau yn parhau yng Nghymru fel rhan o strategaeth Profi, Monitro, Olrhain Llywodraeth Cymru.  Bydd tîm o olrheinwyr cysylltiadau yn cysylltu ag unrhyw un sydd wedi cael prawf positif am Coronafeirws, a gofynnir am fanylion pawb y mae wedi bod mewn cysylltiad agos â nhw tra bod symptomau gyda nhw.

“Cadwch nodyn o'ch gweithgareddau er mwyn i chi allu cofio’n hawdd ble oeddech chi ar ddiwrnod penodol, ynghyd â gyda phwy yr oeddech mewn cysylltiad â nhw.

“Os gofynnir i chi hunanynysu, dylech hefyd gydymffurfio â'r gofyniad hwn er mwyn atal y feirws rhag lledaenu ymhellach.

“Mae olrheinwyr yn staff hyfforddedig a bydd yr wybodaeth bersonol rydych chi'n ei darparu yn cael ei thrin yn unol â rheoliadau diogelu data ac ni fydd yn cael ei rhannu'n eang.

“Mae gwybodaeth bellach am symptomau Coronafeirws ar gael ar wefan Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru, neu gall aelodau'r cyhoedd ddefnyddio gwiriwr symptomau GIG Cymru.

“Gall unrhyw un sydd â symptomau Coronafeirws wneud cais am becyn profi gartref trwy fynd i www.gov.wales/coronavirus, neu trwy ffonio’r gwasanaeth ffôn 119 cenedlaethol.

“Ni ddylai unrhyw un yr amheuir bod ganddo/ganddi coronafeirws fynd i bractis meddyg teulu, fferyllfa nac ysbyty.  Dim ond os yw'n teimlo na all ymdopi â'i symptomau gartref, fod ei gyflwr yn gwaethygu, neu os nad yw ei symptomau’n gwella ar ôl saith niwrnod y dylai gysylltu â NHS 111.

“Peidiwch â ffonio 999 oni bai eich bod yn profi argyfwng sy’n peryglu bywyd. Peidiwch â ffonio 999 dim ond oherwydd eich bod yn aros i 111 ateb eich galwad ffôn. Rydym yn deall bod llinellau 111 yn brysur, ond bydd rhywun yn ateb eich galwad ar ôl i chi aros.

“Mae dangosfwrdd data hawdd ei ddefnyddio Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn casglu gwybodaeth o ystod o ffynonellau gwahanol.  Mae cyfanswm nifer yr achosion positif bellach yn cynnwys y rhai yr adroddwyd amdanynt o labordai nad ydynt yn eiddo i GIG Cymru, sy’n ddarostyngedig i ddad-ddyblygu, mireinio a chysoni parhaus.  Gallai hyn arwain at amrywiad yng nghyfanswm nifer yr achosion positif wrth i’r broses hon fynd rhagddi.

“Dylid nodi nad yw’r achosion o labordai nad ydynt yn eiddo i GIG Cymru yn achosion newydd, a’u bod wedi bod ar y dangosfwrdd ers sawl wythnos.  Adroddwyd amdanynt yn flaenorol ar dab gwahanol, ond bellach maent wedi’u hymgorffori i’r cyfanswm ar gyfer yr ardal awdurdod lleol a’r ardal Bwrdd Iechyd y mae’r claf yn preswylio ynddi, er mwyn rhoi’r darlun cyflawn ar gyfer Cymru.