Welsh NHS boss reveals shocking number of coronavirus patients still in hospital

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The equivalent of "three large hospitals" worth of patients are still being treated for Covid-related illnesses in Wales, the country's health boss has warned.

Dr Andrew Goodall, the chief executive of the NHS in Wales, said that a total of 885 people remained in hospital being treated for illnesses related to the coronavirus outbreak.

During a press conference in Cardiff on Thursday, he said this was the equivalent of three large hospitals being filled with such patients.

Dr Goodall said: "There are 885 Covid-related patients in hospital beds.

"This is lower than last week and has reduced over the last two weeks.

"Whilst lower, this still means the equivalent of three large hospitals filled with Covid-related patients."

Dr Goodall said that while there were still a large number of people in hospital being treated for coronavirus, the general picture was improving.

He said: "There were fewer than 50 new positive cases reported yesterday.

"Nearly all local authority areas in Wales are now reporting small numbers of positive cases, with many now reporting zero cases.

"Currently, daily case totals are highest in North Wales.

"The number of new cases has been steadily declining since April, even though we are doing many more tests."

Dr Goodall said that there were 335 available critical care beds in Wales, including additional capacity, with about 60% empty and available for use.

A total of 32 people are being treated in critical care for coronavirus, which he said was the lowest level since March 25.

Up to yesterday, about 7,000 people have been discharged from hospital after having covid-related conditions, he said.

Despite the reductions in the numbers of patients with coronavirus in hospitals in Wales, Dr Goodall said there was still a long way to go before more routine activity was restored.

He said they needed to adapt to the "new normal" and could not "flick a switch" to restore the activities.

Dr Goodall said that they also needed to retain capacity in order to prepare for any second wave, and said they would continue to look at how the field hospitals in Wales, currently empty, could be used to support services.