Public Health Wales statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
This statement will be updated daily at midday
Statement: Updated at 12pm on Friday 12 February 2021 Dr Giri
Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “We welcome the news that the vaccination programme in Wales, carried
out by Welsh Government and the local health boards, has reached the
significant milestone of 20 per cent of the population having had their first
dose of the vaccination. This is a great
achievement and is a big step towards ensuring the reduction of serious
illness, and deaths, from Coronavirus. “Although the data currently shows that on an all-Wales level the
numbers of cases are reducing and that the incidence is now below 110 cases per
100,000 population, the rates in some areas – particularly in North Wales – are
still at nearly double that, and there have been small increases in others. “It is encouraging to see that the numbers of people being treated for
Coronavirus in our hospitals is reducing, there are still a large number of
people who are extremely ill, which means that the pressure on services is
still very high. “All of Wales remains in lockdown.
We recognise that complying with the restrictions can be challenging,
but Coronavirus is still active in our communities and can cause severe illness
and death. The reduction in the number
of cases does not mean that people can meet people from other households (apart
from one person for socially distanced exercise), as this can cause the virus
to spread. “As a nation, we have made so many sacrifices throughout the course of
the pandemic that we really don’t want to squander the gains that have been
made in recent weeks. “We encourage
everyone, whatever their background, socio-demographic and ethnicity, to have
the Coronavirus vaccine when they are offered it. We also stress the
importance of seeking information from a trusted source such as Public Health
Wales, the Welsh Government, local health board or GP. “We
continue to work to identify and investigate cases of variant Coronavirus in
Wales. To date, 13 cases of the South Africa variant have been identified in
Wales. Multi-agency investigations continue into two separate cases that do not
have clear links to international travel. There are no cases of the variants
associated with Brazil.” “The UK variant of Coronavirus prevalent in many parts of
Wales is up to 70 per cent more transmissible, and as reported recently there
is evidence which suggests that it may lead to a higher risk of death than the
non-variant. Public Health Wales welcomes the recent evidence that the ChadOx1
(AstraZeneca/Oxford Vaccine Group) vaccine is effective against the UK variant. “We have been alerted to
a number of increasingly sophisticated ‘scam’ emails in circulation claiming to
be from the NHS which purport to offer appointments for vaccination. Coronavirus vaccines currently can’t be
bought privately in the UK. Do not share any of your personal information.
Correspondence will only come from your health board and your vaccination will
be free. “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 everyone – including
those who have been vaccinated - must continue to follow the advice on keeping
Wales safe. “Under current UK Coronavirus
restrictions, you must stay at home. You must not leave home or travel,
including internationally, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so. “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.
“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 visiting www.gov.wales/getting-tested-coronavirus-covid-19.” I ddilyn