January 12, 2021 - 867 views
16 deaths and 1,332 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Tuesday's update from Public Health Wales.
From the new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 314 were in North Wales. Wrexham recorded 140, Flintshire 82, Gwynedd 31, Denbighshire 27, Conwy 18 and Anglesey 16.
Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “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."
