Summary

  • The Welsh Government recommends people wear "non-medical face coverings" in situations where social-distancing isn't possible, such as public transport

  • One front-line NHS worker says it's hard for colleagues to process what they are seeing

  • People with sight loss say they have been abused and abandoned during the coronavirus pandemic

  • An artist has been brought into to sketch day-to-day life in Wales' largest coronavirus field hospital

  • The official death tally from Public Health Wales has gone up by nine to 1,410

  1. The end of coal?published at 11:45 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Coal being moved by heavy diggersImage source, Getty Images

    Britain is about to pass a significant landmark - at midnight on Wednesday it will have gone two full months without burning coal to generate power.

    It follows a plummet in demand for power following the coronavirus lockdown.

    The National Grid, which controls the electricity flow across Wales, England and Scotland, responded by taking power plants of its network.

    The last four remaining coal-fired plants were the first to be shut down.

    The last coal generator came off the system at midnight on 9 April. No coal has been burnt for electricity since.

    The current coal-free period smashes the previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes which was set in June last year.

    A decade ago about 40% of Britain's electricity came from coal.

    Wales' last coal-fired power plant at Aberthaw, Vale of Glamorgan, officially closed during lockdown on 31 March, and is now being decommissioned.

  2. May 'another month of struggle for retail'published at 11:13 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Man looks into window of shut shop on a British high street during the coronavirus pandemicImage source, Getty Images

    May was another tough month for retail as coronavirus lockdown measures continued, a trade body says.

    Total UK sales fell by 5.9% compared with the previous year, dragged down by temporary shop closures, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.

    Online sales of non-food goods jumped 60.2%, but failed to offset the drop in spending on the High Street.

    Separately, Barclaycard data suggested supermarket sales were boosted by May's warm weather.

    May was "yet another month of struggle for retailers across the country", the BRC's chief executive Helen Dickinson said.

    The BRC and KPMG survey suggested a decline in sales that was the second worst on record, after a huge drop in April.

    "For those shops whose doors remain shuttered, it was once again a tough month and even those who stayed open suffered reduced footfall and huge costs implementing social distancing measures," she added.

    Non-essential shops can start to re-open in England from 15 June.

    No dates have been set for the reopening of shops in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but each country has plans in place.

    In Wales, non-essential shops and services could happen in the amber phase, external of its exit strategy.

  3. Pub name rethink over slave trade linkpublished at 10:58 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    The Elihu Yale pub in WrexhamImage source, Google

    A pub named after a man linked to the 17th Century slave trade could be renamed following public pressure.

    Wrexham's Elihu Yale pub is at the centre of the issue after a petition said people connected with slavery should not be commemorated.

    Yale was an official for the East India Company in Madras and played a role in its Indian Ocean slave trading.

    Wetherspoons said it had used his name for the pub as he was the benefactor of Yale University in the US.

    A statue of another 17th Century slave trader was torn from its plinth during a demonstration in Bristol over the weekend.

    There have also been calls for statues of Sir Thomas Picton, a former governor of Trinidad, to be taken down in Carmarthen and Cardiff.

    A petition signed by almost 200 people, suggests renaming the Wrexham pub to Old Man Spoons or the Welsh language equivalent.

    Organiser Eleanor Lee said Yale and his family "made their fortune within the slave trade and has since been glorified".

    "This is not what our town and local pubs should be commemorating," she said.

    Wetherspoons told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was willing to consider changing the pub's name as it was "not aware of any connections with the slave trade".

    Elihu Yale portraitImage source, Enoch Seeman | Yale University Art Gallery

    Who was Eilhu Yale?

    Elihu Yale was born 5 April 1649 in Boston, Massachusetts, the second son of David Yale, a prosperous Boston merchant.

    The family's connection with Wrexham began in the late 16th Century when Yale's great grandfather bought what is now part of the Erddig estate, external, run by the National Trust.

    Yale joined his father's firm and later entered the service of the East India Company as a clerk.

    He travelled to India in 1671 where he remained for 27 years, rising to become governor of Fort St George, an important trading post, in 1684.

    He returned to Britain in 1699 and he died in 1721. His remains are buried at Wrexham's St Giles Parish Church.

  4. Wales Rally GB 2020 cancelledpublished at 10:45 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    The 2020 Wales Rally GB has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The event had been due to run from 29 October to 1 November and will now not be held until next year, as part of the 2021 schedule.

    The race was set to be the penultimate round of the 2020 World Rally Championship and additionally was the concluding rounds of both the FIA Junior World Rally Championship and British Rally Championship.

    “This is not a decision that we have taken lightly but, in close consultation with our chief funding partner the Welsh government, it is sadly one we are obliged to make in light of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic,” said David Richards, chairman of Motorsport UK.

    The Wales Rally GB typically attracts top-class entries from around the world and more than 100,000 spectators to the forests of mid and north Wales.

    Rally carImage source, Motorsport UK
  5. Weekly fall in total number of deaths in Walespublished at 10:35 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Coronavirus graphic with graph image embeddedImage source, Getty Images

    There have been a total of 2,240 deaths involving coronavirus in Wales, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

    These are deaths of people confirmed or suspected of having Covid-19 up to 29 May.

    In Wales, there were 104 deaths in the seven days to that date - the lowest weekly total since March and the fifth successive fall in the weekly total.

    The virus accounted for 17.9% of all deaths registered.

    The number of deaths for all causes fell to 587 - still 41 higher than the five-year average for this week. But this number of so-called "excess" deaths is lower than the previous week.

    Graph of excess deaths Source: ONS

    This is often used as a key measure, by comparing deaths to what we might typically expect to see at this time of year, with the likes of seasonal illnesses such as flu.

    Public Health Wales also reports figures daily but these are mostly from Welsh hospitals and only those when the virus has been confirmed in a laboratory test.

    So this is 891 fewer deaths up to 29 May than the ONS figures, but the ONS numbers are regarded as more accurate and also include those deaths that happened in care home and people's own homes.

  6. Facing abuse when you can't see the queuepublished at 10:00 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: 'People have yelled when I've gotten too close'

    The visually impaired say they feel like their independence has been "stripped away" by some social distancing measures.

    Some have reported being yelled because they cannot see a queue, or signs to keep shoppers apart.

    Angharad Paget Jones said she has faced abuse, even though she is clearly accompanied by her guide dog Tudor.

  7. Holiday firm reverses no refund policypublished at 09:42 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Laptop showing a screen for holiday bookingsImage source, Getty Images

    Regulators have had their first major victory in getting holiday lettings firms to offer refunds for holidays cancelled because of coronavirus.

    The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that Vacation Rentals, which operates sites including Hoseasons and Cottages.com, had changed its policy.

    It follows complaints about Vacation Rentals and several other companies.

    The CMA said several lettings firms would face "further scrutiny".

    The CMA said Vacation Rentals voluntarily changed its policy after originally failing to offer refunds to all customers whose trips were cancelled.

    It has now given a formal commitment that customers will have the option of a full refund if a booking has been cancelled because of restrictions associated with the coronavirus outbreak.

    But despite consumer law on refunds being clear, the CMA said other holiday lets firms had not yet agreed to do the same.

  8. 'Like a warzone'published at 09:13 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: NHS staff face challenges like soldiers

    Front-line medics need support similar to that received by soldiers, an armed forces charity has said.

    Help for Heroes said NHS staff dealing with the coronavirus pandemic had faced mental challenges comparable to service personnel.

    These include challenging environments, putting themselves at risk and, in some cases, losing colleagues.

    More than 100 NHS and care staff have died after being infected with the virus.

    "I think when you're in the thick of it, you just turn up and you get the work done. You can't process it too much," said Dr Ami Jones, a critical care consultant for Aneurin Bevan health board.

  9. Calls for date to reopen pubs and cafes in Walespublished at 08:55 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    BBC Radio Wales

    Pint on a barImage source, Getty Images

    The UK government is expected to update its guidance on when pubs and restaurants in England might re-open later today.

    But in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he “can’t make any promises” about when the hospitality sector will reopen.

    He told Monday's daily breifing it was "on the list" of things to discuss during the next lockdown review, along with “many other things”.

    Kate Nicholls, chief executive of Hospitality UK, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast if businesses do not open soon, some might never reopen.

    "I think consumer confidence is going to be key and undoubtedly there will be some people who are more keen than others," she said.

    "Our latest survey that we undertook suggests that around 45% of people are keen to come back to pubs, bars and restaurants provided there is hygiene and infection control measures in place."

    She said the industry recognises there are different situations in different parts of the UK, and each nation has to be led "by their science and the level of infection".

    "What I would make in a plea to the Welsh first minister is to end that indecision as soon as possible," she added.

    "It has been undoubtedly helpful over the last month for businesses in England to have an indicative date to work towards. It ends that uncertainty, it helps us reassure our staff, it has retained jobs."

  10. Plan dropped for all England primary pupils to returnpublished at 08:35 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    The plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the UK government.

    There was an aim for all primary pupils to spend four weeks in school before the summer break.

    But it is no longer thought to be feasible - and instead schools will be given "flexibility" over whether or not to admit more pupils.

    UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock also conceded at Monday's Downing Street briefing that secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until September "at the earliest".

    In Wales, all schools - including secondary schools - have been told to re-open on 29 June.

    Wales' Education Minister Kirsty Williams said last week classrooms will be opening for all year groups, but would be for limited periods during the week, with only a third of pupils in school at any one time.

    Children socially distanced in a London classroom after returning following coronavirus pandemicImage source, Getty Images
  11. War artist captures life on Covid-19 front linepublished at 08:18 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: War artist captures life on NHS front line

    Illustrations of life inside Wales’ largest field hospital will go on sale to raise money for charity.

    The Principality Stadium in Cardiff has been transformed into the Dragon’s Heart Hospital during the pandemic to help ease pressure on NHS services.

    Dan Peterson, who went to Helmand province in Afghanistan as the Army's official war artist, was commissioned by Cardiff & Vale University Health Board to capture the “historic” moment.

    He said: “It occurred to me that this is such a momentous occasion - history in the making - that this needed to be recorded."

    Half of the profits made from the sale of the illustrations will go to the health board's arts fund.

  12. Testing 'deal' details will not be made publicpublished at 07:52 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Coronavirus testingImage source, Getty Images

    A request to reveal details of discussions between the Welsh government and a pharmaceutical firm making Covid-19 tests has been rejected.

    Officials said releasing the information would be "likely to prejudice relations with the UK government".

    In March, Welsh ministers said a deal with Roche to provide 5,000 extra tests a day collapsed, though the Swiss firm denied there had been an agreement.

    The Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have demanded more information is published for transparency and public interest.

    Following the announcement of the details about the Roche story, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said there was "'no getting away" from the fact extra coronavirus tests "would have made an earlier difference".

    He said at the time: "I recognise the interest the public, and in particular our front-line workers, have in increasing our testing capacity sooner rather than later.

    "When all this is done, I'm sure there be lots of questions for all of us about choices we've made at various different points in time, including this particular aspect."

    Freedom of Information Request

    BBC Wales asked for details of the Roche conversations under a Freedom of Information request on 31 March.

    But the Welsh government ruled on 5 June the request was exempt and did not need to be made public.

    Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price described the decision as "deeply disappointing".

    He asked why ministers were "so ready to protect Westminster by choosing not to publish this correspondence".

    Paul Davies, the Tory leader in the Senedd, claimed Welsh government officials had been asked about the deal and told it "does not hold" the information requested.

    He added: "The Welsh government should now come clean about this matter and tell us whether it doesn’t hold the information or whether it can’t be disclosed. It cannot be both.

    "Given the differing replies, I hope that the Welsh government has not been misleading the people of Wales in order to hide its incompetence.”

  13. Blind and visually impaired people 'yelled at'published at 07:36 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Angharad Paget Jones with her guide dog Tudor
    Image caption,

    Angharad Paget Jones says she's experienced abuse at first hand

    People with sight loss say they have been abused during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Many say they are struggling to access services during the lockdown and some have been verbally abused because they find it hard to follow social distancing rules.

    The Fight for Sight charity is calling for health services and retailers to ensure that people who are visually impaired can get the help they need.

    A survey it carried out of 325 people with sight loss suggested one in four found it difficult to follow social distancing.

    Angharad Paget Jones says her guide dog Tudor is her eyes on four paws - she's only confident leaving her home in Port Talbot with him by her side.

    But during lockdown, she has found people are far less tolerant of her disability, making a trip to the shops a scary experience.

    "I've been yelled at in stores for being too close to people when they can see I've got the dog - I can't see them," she said.

  14. NHS staff 'need similar support to soldiers'published at 07:20 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Critical care consultant Ami Jones
    Image caption,

    Critical care consultant and Wales Air Ambulance doctor Ami Jones says not being able to break bad news face to face was "distressing"

    Front-line medics need support similar to that received by soldiers, an armed forces charity has said.

    Help for Heroes said NHS staff faced mental challenges comparable to service personnel while dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

    These include challenging environments, putting themselves at risk and, in some cases, losing colleagues.

    More than 100 NHS and care staff have died after being infected with the virus.

    "I think when you're in the thick of it, you just turn up and you get the work done. You can't process it too much," said Dr Ami Jones, a critical care consultant for Aneurin Bevan health board.

    Dr Jones also works for the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service with Wales Air Ambulance

    She said the "most distressing" part was not being able to talk to relatives face to face and having to break bad news over the phone.

    "I'd never thought that would be the worst bit, but it you know it really, really was," she said.

  15. Good Morningpublished at 07:12 British Summer Time 9 June 2020

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in Wales.

    We will bring you all the updates as they happen.

    Some of the main points from yesterday were:

    • More lockdown restrictions could be lifted in Wales this month if the number of coronavirus cases continues to fall, the first minister has said
    • Mark Drakeford also pledged that all care home in Wales will be tested for Covid-19 by Friday
    • Three more people in Wales are confirmed to have died with coronavirus, Public Heath Wales said, taking its official total to 1,401