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Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething has vowed to boost coronavirus testing by the start of next week.

The Welsh Government is well short of meeting its own target of up to 5,000 tests a day by "mid-April".

Currently 1,300 tests can take place although recent figures show as few as 675 daily tests have actually taken place in the last week.

So, how will the Welsh Government boost the number of tests?

A Welsh Government spokesman said:“We will be increasing capacity by opening more drive-in centres in other regions, carrying out more tests at community testing units and through the introduction of a home-delivery testing service.”

The Cardiff City Stadium drive-in centre is one offour testing centres plannedfor key-workers with symptoms and is the only centre operating so far.

A decision to shut the centre on Bank Holiday Monday sparked criticism from opposition politicians but was later defended by Public Health Wales.

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The UK government has offered First Minister Mark Drakeford extra military help in Wales’ efforts to tackle coronavirus.

Armed forces are already working with the Welsh Ambulance Service, and supporting the development of the Principality Stadium field hospital.

In a letter to Mr Drakeford, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said a “20,000 strong Covid Support Force” has been placed on “higher readiness across the UK”, alongside mobilisation of specialist reservists.

“Now is the time to seek any additional military support you consider necessary, whether through the provision of personnel or their planning expertise,” Mr Hart said.

Image source, FAMILY PHOTO

A rugby player whose father died from coronavirus has called his final six days in hospital "brutal and heartbreaking."

Dennis Laurence Pearson, 70, of Rhymney, in Caerphilly, died at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, on Tuesday.

Former semi-professional player Lee said was he had "the worst feeling ever" as none of his father's four sons were able to comfort their mother.

He described his father, known as Laurence, as a “true old-fashioned family man” who loved his family.

He told BBC Wales he was desperate for people to appreciate the seriousness of the disease.

“My Dad's gone,” he said.

Lee, who plays for Abertysswg Falcons, and whose former clubs include Bargoed, Bedwas and Caerphilly, has received many sympathetic messages on social media, including from Wales international and doctor Jamie Roberts.

In a tweet earlier today, Lee described his family's ordeal and pleaded: “Please anybody who isn’t taking this virus seriously start now!”

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Missing sport?

Well, even as the lockdown continues, darts will soon be providing the sport-deprived public with at least some form of live action.

Starting on Friday, the PDC Home Tour will see players - including world champion Peter Wright and Welshman Gerwyn Price - play in matches broadcast via video calls.

The matches will be shown live on the PDC's own TV channel and will be available to be watched free by registered users.

As well as world number three Price, there will also be Welsh representation in the form of Jamie Lewis and Jonathan Worsley.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says it is making enquiries into the issuing of 13,000 "shielding letters" to incorrect addresses, after the Welsh NHS reported itself to the regulator.

More than 80,000 people most vulnerable to coronavirus are meant to get a letter offering information and advice, including how those who have no-one else to support them can get food.

The regulator can fine organisations for data breaches.

"People have a right to expect their personal information to be protected," a spokeswoman said.

Welsh Government health minister Vaughan Gething apologised for the mistake saying the letters had been resent.

Miles Davis
BBC News Online

Supermarkets will be asked to give care staff the same priority as NHS workers, and the UK will undertake a recruitment drive, with the government paying for "induction training", Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced today.

Care home worker Lyn Tonkin previously posted an emotional video after being told she couldn’t skip a supermarket queue at Tesco in Camborne, Cornwall.

Dr Angela McLean, the UK's deputy chief scientific officer, said the use of all modes of transport are now down to less than a third of what they were before the lockdown was introduced.

"This is hard data to show how all of us are staying home," she said.

Dr McLean said there was a flattening in the number of cases of Covid-19 and "for me that is evidence that what everybody has done together has worked".

"It is having the impact we hoped it would have," she concluded.

Image source, Sue Martin

A man who was given "almost zero" hope of recovery after contracting Covid-19 "is still with us", his wife has said.

Mal Martin was taken to Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital and has spent the past 17 days on a ventilator.

And despite the family preparing for the worst, he continues to defy the odds.

"Incredibly, Mal is still with us," Sue Martin said.

"Weaning from the ventilator and rehabilitation is going to be an extremely long, slow and painful process, and there are no guarantees that it will be successful, but we are prepared for whatever it brings."

Administrators say the coronavirus has had a "devastating effect on the entire retail industry".

The mother of a 14-year-old girl with a severe heart and lung condition has thanked her local optician for “going above and beyond” the call of duty.

Janine Price contacted her opticians in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan after her daughter’s glasses broke, but was unable to get to store as the family is self-isolating.

“Bex relies on her glasses to do almost everything,’ says Ms Price.

“Because of her condition, we decided to begin isolating before the lockdown for her safety, which made us fear that she might have to go weeks, or even months, without her glasses."

After receiving a call, Specsavers optician Jamie Pullen visited the family and repaired the glasses - standing two metres from the front door.

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Construction work to create a temporary hospital at Bangor University is progressing well.

Such is the impact of coronavirus that even events as monumental as Brexit seem a long way away.

But not necessarily in Westminster.

"Remember Brexit? The UK and the EU been having socially-distanced talks today," BBC Wales' Parliamentary Correspondent Mark Hutchings tweeted.

"In case you were wondering. Further rounds needed to enable 'tangible progress' by June,"

Away from the coronavirus pandemic - a man has been arrested after a machete and a shotgun attack in Cardiff left another man badly injured.

Officers were called to Harris Avenue, Rumney, at 15:25 BST on Monday after reports of a serious assault, South Wales Police said.

The victim, 21, from Tremorfa, underwent surgery for "life-changing injuries" and remains in hospital in a "stable condition".

A 32-year-old from Ely was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Wednesday and remains in custody.

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Police officers in Renyoldston, Gower, have thanked a "kind person" for leaving Welsh cakes on their patrol car bonnet.

"It really does lift our spirits in these difficult times," the force tweeted.

Newport County have furloughed their players, management team and staff because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The League Two club say they have made the move to protect their "long term financial viability".

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Drawstring bags that allow nurses to to take their contaminated uniforms home and place them directly into the washing machine are being made by volunteers.

Neath Port Talbot Council tweeted to thank Friends of Margam for their work.

Criminals have been trying to scam the public by selling masks over the phone and asking for bank details.

Dyfed-Powys Police urged people not to give bank details over the phone.

A study by researchers at Swansea University and Manchester University shows social distancing and isolation is having significant impacts on people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The study finds:

• Social distancing is leading to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression amongst the general public.
• People in low-paid or insecure occupations are worst hit.
• Some people are fearful they will continue to be socially anxious after the lockdown, while others plan to go back to normal levels of social activity as soon as possible.

The study has been published here., external

The research is being led by Simon Williams, public health researcher at Swansea University.

"Our study finds many people are really sticking to the guidelines on social distancing," said Dr Williams.

"However, it is coming at a significant cost to people’s mental health and wellbeing, particularly those in low-paid or insecure jobs.

"A rapid response is necessary in terms of public health programming to mitigate these mental health impacts."

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Police have slapped a motorcyclist with a coronavirus-related fixed penalty notice after a crash on the A458 near Welshpool, in Powys.

"Driver of the motorcycle issued with a COVID fixed penalty ticket as 'exercising' on your motorbike 55 miles from your home address does not class as daily exercise," Dyfed-Powys Police tweeted.

As the lockdown started to take hold, photographer Fran Monks, like many freelancers, found her paid commissions were being postponed.

But she really wanted to document this extraordinary time where so many are isolated at home and so set about using her skills as a portrait photographer.

"My professional aim is to use portraiture to celebrate the undercelebrated," Monks says

Image source, Fran Monks