Public Health Wales statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
This statement will be updated daily at midday
Statement: Updated at 12pm on Tuesday 12 January 2021 Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response
at Public Health Wales, said: “The number of positive Coronavirus
cases remains extremely high in Wales and is cause for serious concern. “All of Wales remains in lockdown. We ask that the public adopts the
same mindset for this lockdown as they did in March 2020. We understand that
people are fatigued but with a more transmissible variant of coronavirus
circulating across Wales it is vital that we all keep to the lockdown
restrictions in place. “This means stay at home. If exercising outdoors, please do this alone
or with members of your household or support bubble and if possible, only once
a day. Shop online but if you do need to visit essential retail do this alone. If
you must leave home keep your distance,
wash your hands regularly, and wear a face mask. “Public Health Wales
urges everyone to follow the rules, to avoid transmission of Coronavirus and to
protect everyone in our communities, including the most vulnerable.” “The roll-out of the Pfizer BioNTech
and AstraZeneca Coronavirus vaccines continues in Wales with the the recently Medicines
and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved Moderna vaccine to be
incorporated into the programme soon. “From Monday
11 January 2021, daily vaccination data will be published on the Public Health
Wales dashboard. The headline summary will include daily cumulative numbers of
individuals who have received a first and second vaccination dose. More
detailed vaccination data including numbers by health board area will be
updated on a weekly basis every Thursday. Public Health Wales is working
closely with the Welsh Government as they deploy Coronavirus vaccinations
through local health boards. Welsh Government is leading on the deployment of
the vaccine in Wales.” “Vaccinating
the adult population of Wales, to protect people from severe disease, is a
significant task, and the vaccine will take time to reach everyone. The effects of the vaccines may not be seen nationally
for some time, and we must continue to follow the advice on keeping Wales safe. “The
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued a short statement
outlining the case for optimising the existing vaccine programme within the UK
to achieve maximum short term impact. The JCVI advises initially prioritising
delivery of the first vaccine dose as this is highly likely to have a greater
public health impact in the short term and reduce the number of preventable
deaths from COVID-19. “Given
the data available, and evidence from the use of many other vaccines, Public
Health Wales fully supports the JCVI advice to increase a maximum interval
between the first and second doses of 12 weeks for both Pfizer BioNTech and
AstraZeneca vaccines. “Members of the public should not phone your GP, pharmacy
or hospital asking when they will get a vaccine. When someone is in one of the
groups eligible for the vaccine, they will be invited to attend a dedicated
clinic which will have been set up to ensure patient safety and that of the
healthcare professionals. “Public Health Wales is working with UK partners to
investigate and respond to the new variant of coronavirus identified in Wales. The
new variant is easier to spread and the public should remain highly vigilant in
measures to prevent transmission including maintaining social distancing,
regularly handwashing and wearing of face coverings. Though the new variant can
be transmitted more easily there is no evidence that it leads to more severe
disease. “Travellers who have been in or transited
through the Republic of South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho,
Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the
last 10 days are no longer allowed into the UK. We advise anyone returning to
Wales from these countries to regularly check gov.uk for the latest guidance
and advice on self-isolating. “If you or a member of your household develop a
cough, fever or change in sense of taste or smell, you must self-isolate
immediately and book a free Coronavirus test, either by calling 119 or by clicking here.
“If you
are due to travel out of the UK, please be aware of the changing situation and
keep an eye on the FCO website for
up to date details. Datganiad: Diweddarwyd
12yh Dydd Mawrth 12 Ionawr 2021 I ddilyn