Coronavirus LIVE: Updates as Welsh Government warns pandemic will continue to impact our lives 'for some time to come'

Highways officers report more covidiots on the roads

Yet another speeder.

Disgusted nurse storms out of B&Q during 'free-for-all' inside store

Key NHS worker claims customers were coughing on to products and others were spluttering into their hands before touching items.

Question over field hospitals

Mr Miles said the field hospitals provide additional capacity - that hasn’t needed to be made available - but also provides flexibility. They will be kept under ongoing review.

Care home fears

“We understand the challenges that the care sector face” and Mr Miles said they would continue to provide support.

Reassurances for businesses on job retention scheme

Mr Miles said they wanted to see support for businesses provided by the UK Government and the Welsh Government, to continue amid the crisis.

Town and community councils in danger of running out of money?

Mr Miles said they were looking into the issue.

Tourism impact

It has been “very severe” and one of the sectors most adversely affected.

Brexit preparations affected?

Focus on coronavirus has been the right thing to do/ The Welsh Government have said now is not the right time to continue the complex negotiations with the EU and have called on the UK Government to pasue them, said Mr Miles.

Availability of vaccine is important

But that is some time away and the public will need to feel confident they are safe when lockdown measures start to be lifted.

Lessons learned over the pandemic

Mr Miles says the Welsh Government has participated in UK wide preparations over the years to prepare for such an event. “The scale of the pandemic has been unprecedented” around the world. “It is going to be a feature of our life for sometime to come.”

Will Wales have to go its own way

Wales is keen to maintain four nation approach. But devolved government’s have taken different decisions at times.

Question over easing of lockdown

Mr Miles said the First Minister had set out a framework for steps to ease lockdown when it is safe, including testing and tracing capacity being in place.

Question on testing

What can’t key workers in Wales book it through the UK line? Wales is expanding its own testing and a testing portal is being launched this week.

Politicians want to hear from people

Dedicated email address being set up so people can send the Welsh Government their ideas about the future.

Planning for the future

New ways of doing things have been found, bringing overseas jobs back home, online GP appointments and large numbers of people working from home. The last is good for environment but raises challenges for people’s well being including mental health.

Lockdown restrictions are under constant review

They are helping to restrict spread, but there will be a time when they are lifted. “It will have a lasting effect on all of us”.

Briefing starting

Counsel General, Jeremy Miles, is providing this afternoon’s coronavirus update from the Welsh Government

Signing in

Good afternoon. I’ll be providing live updates from today’s Welsh Government press briefing on the Coronavirus outbreak. It is due to start at 12.30pm. Steve Bagnall.

108 NHS and social care workers have died

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, deputising for Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions, said 108 NHS and social care workers are known to have died from coronavirus.
He told MPs: “The whole House will also want to join me in paying tribute to the 85 NHS workers and the 23 social care workers who have very sadly died from coronavirus.
“My very deepest sympathies are with their family and friends at what is an incredibly difficult time, and we’ll continue to do whatever it takes to support them.”

All care home residents and staff must be tested, say Welsh Lib Dems

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the decision to not roll out Covid-19 testing to everyone in Welsh care homes.

On Tuesday the UK Government announced an expansion of it’s policy regarding testing in care homes, promising everyone in care homes with cases would be tested.

However Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething has confirmed this policy will not be implimented in Wales, with only those displaying symptoms being tested.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said:

It’s incredibly concerning that residents and staff in care homes, where there are suspected cases of Covid-19, are not being guaranteed tests unless they are displaying symptoms.

If we want to keep people safe and contain the spread of this virus then we need to ensure everyone who is potentially exposed is tested and can be treated. Failure to test will only cause further concern and distress to the family and loved ones of those living or working in our care homes.

I urge the Health Minister to think again as getting this wrong will cost lives.”

Coronavirus more common in deprived areas, says app

People living in urban and the most deprived areas of the UK could be more exposed or vulnerable to coronavirus, the latest data from a symptom tracking app suggests.
Scientists analysing results from the Covid-19 Symptom Tracker app have found that the virus is disproportionately more common and more severe in those located in urban areas and regions of higher poverty.
“This could reflect that individuals in more deprived areas are more exposed or vulnerable to the virus,” said Dr Cristina Menni, lead researcher from King’s College London.
“It may be that they work in jobs requiring work out of the home, where they are more likely to be exposed to circulating virus.
“We know from previous research that deprivation is closely linked with increased health issues and disease burden; our results suggest that Covid-19 is no exception.”

Lottery winner's tribute to NHS

A lottery winner whose father died after contracting coronavirus has mowed an NHS logo and rainbow into his lawn in tribute to those who helped care for his dad.
Sue Richards and Barry Maddox, of Billericay in Essex, won £3 million on a National Lottery scratch card in 2016.
Mr Maddox’s father, Frankie, died five weeks ago after testing positive for Covid-19.
This prompted Mr Maddox to create the giant lawn art.

Coronavirus fraudsters create fake NHS website to scam people worried about Covid-19

A fake NHS website has been set up by scammers targeting people worried about the coronavirus outbreak. Callous fraudsters are targeting people who are searching for information online about Covid-19, with personal details being stolen from unassuming victims. Police have warned members of the public to keep an eye out for the scam.

B&Q opens 130 more UK stores - including sites in North Wales

B&Q has now opened another 130 UK stores - including sites in North Wales.

The chain shut its 296 UK stores when the coronavirus pandemic hit - later launching a click and collect service.

In recent days it has also reopened 155 stores around the UK.

Government optimistic that 100,000 daily testing target will be met

The Government’s testing tsar has said he is confident the 100,000 daily target for coronavirus tests will be met on Thursday.
Professor John Newton, director of public health improvement for Public Health England (PHE), said: “We are pretty confident we will hit that target. It puts us really right up there with countries like Germany, so we need that now but we need that for the future as well.”
There will be a lag in receiving the data but “by the end of the week we will know whether we have reached that target”, he added.
The Government has been under pressure over the target, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock announcing a massive expansion of the groups eligible for testing on Tuesday night.
Prof Newton told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think we are very confident. We have built quite a big system.”
PHE has come under fire for abandoning contact tracing in mid-March, saying at the time that the spread of the virus through the population made continuing such a method unfeasible.
Prof Newton told Today the UK has “some of the best contact tracing resources in the world” but the same decision would have been made to stop contact tracing in the community in mid-March regardless of resources, because such contact tracing was “just not possible”.

Boris Johnsona announces birth of baby boy

Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds have announced the birth of a “healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning”. Both mother and baby are doing very well, their spokesman said.

Unions vow to fight ass job losses at British Airways

Unions have vowed to fight plans to cut 12,000 jobs at British Airways amid anger at the “heartless decision”.
Officials said the move is “entirely at odds” with the course of action followed by other European carriers as they seek a way through the coronavirus crisis.
And Labour said the Government could have done more to avoid such a drastic cut.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “This devastating announcement comes on the day that BA staff joined together to lay to rest one of their own, a long-standing and much-loved cabin crew member who tragically died from the coronavirus, contracted while carrying out his duties bringing home loved ones from overseas to reunite concerned families.

Cruise passengers face 'rigorous' medical checksd before being allowed to board ships after lockdown

Passengers travelling with P&O Cruises will be forced to pass “rigorous” medical checks before being allowed to board ships once sailings resume, the company said.
The UK’s biggest cruise line told the PA news agency it is developing plans to introduce a series of “stringent measures” to ensure it obeys international health guidelines when it restarts operations once the coronavirus pandemic recedes.
Other changes being considered include reducing the capacity of ships, scrapping self-service buffets and implementing one-way systems on board.
Earlier this month, easyJet announced it expects to keep middle seats empty on its planes when it restarts flights to enable social distancing.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said the cruise line is working with authorities such as Public Health England to ensure sailings adhere to guidance “without compromising enjoyment and experience”.

North Wales health board launches new recruitment drive - here's how to sign up

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has launched a recruitment campaign appealing for clinical professionals to join in the fight against Covid-19. Although a number of volunteers stepped forward to fight the virus, the health board is now urging registered doctors, nurses, therapists and therapy support staff across the region to sign up. Extra clinical staff are required in the acute hospitals of Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Wrexham Maelor and within other community services, as well as extra staff for the three temporary Rainbow hospitals in Bangor, Llandudno and Deeside.

How Captain Tom Moore's incredible fundraising efforts are already helping North Wales

Captain Tom Moore’s multi-million pound fundraising efforts are already helping patients in North Wales. The remarkable effort of the 99-year-old war veteran, which captured the hearts of people across the world, will help to brighten the lives of hospital patients and staff in North Wales. Having raised more than £28 million for NHS Charities Together after completing 100 laps of the garden at his daughter’s home in Bedfordshire ahead of his 100th birthday, the money will be shared among the network of 170 NHS charities.