Summary

  • There has been "a small cluster" of cases at a meat processing plant in Merthyr Tydfil, in addition to two outbreaks in north Wales, the health minister says

  • But there is no evidence of wider community transmission of coronavirus following any of the outbreaks, he adds

  • Deaths involving coronavirus in Wales have dropped significantly in the most recent week's figures from the ONS

  • Oxygen levels in suspected coronavirus cases should be monitored in the community to help hospitals cope with a second wave of cases, according to Wales' leading respiratory doctor

  • Some pupils could face problems going back to school because of inconsistencies in transport provision across Wales, a teachers' union fears

  • Shopping centre chain Intu, which runs St David's in Cardiff as a joint venture, has warned financial troubles could see entire sites close

  • One more person has been confirmed as dying with coronavirus, Public Health Wales said on Monday, taking its total to 1,478

  1. Goodbyepublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    That's it for our live coverage of the coronavirus crisis in Wales today.

    Here's a recap of Tuesday's main developments:

    We'll be back tomorrow with more live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, including the daily Welsh Government briefing at 12:30 BST.

    Until then, you can keep up to date with all the latest on coronavirus around the world here.

  2. Foster care 'state of emergency'published at 14:55 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    There is a crisis in the number of children in care and demand for foster carers, says Barnardo's Cymru.

    The charity has seen a 45% surge in the number of children it has been asked to find foster families for in Wales during the coronavirus pandemic.

    At the same time, the number of people approaching the charity to become foster parents in Wales has halved compared with the same period last year.

    From 1 March to 23 April, there were 140 referrals to its fostering service in Wales, up from 96 for the same period in 2019. But the number of enquiries from people looking to become foster parents for the charity fell from 39 to just 19, a decrease of 51%.

    Chief executive Javed Khan said: “The coronavirus pandemic has hit vulnerable families the hardest, with many reaching crisis point.

    "This has created a state of emergency, as more children than ever need a safe and loving foster family, while fewer adults are coming forward as potential foster carers."

  3. '2m rule will only change when it is safe'published at 14:51 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Health minister Vaughan Gething says the Welsh Government will "consider the evidence" after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans for England to open pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers from 4 July, when social distancing rules will be eased

    Media caption,

    Coronavirus: Two-metre rule will only change in Wales when it is 'safe'

  4. Speed of testing is still an issue in Walespublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    The speed of test results coming back is still an issue in Wales - with latest figures showing another deterioration.

    Fewer Covid-19 test results were coming back within 24 hours, the figures from Public Health Wales show.

    Only 44.7% of results from tests at drive-through centres came back within a day - in the week to 21 June.

    This was down from 49.7% the week before. And 11% of test results still hadn't arrived within 48 hours.

    The figures also show less than half (43.6%) of results from testing units come back inside a day, slightly down on the previous week. For tests in hospitals, 64.8% came back within 24 hours - a slight improvement on a week ago.

    It comes after the first minister pledged to speed up testing. Overall, only 50.7% of tests came back within 24 hours.

    There were another 20,000 tests in the last week. By 21 June, nearly 26,840 healthcare workers had been tested, with 26,884 tests on care home residents. This is 3,554 more than the week before, with 95% of tests proving negative.

    The rolling out of testing into care homes also shows now that 35,412 staff had been tested too; 97% of tests were negative.

    Those NHS workers tested include 9,963 hospital staff. Other key workers tested included 414 police officers, 308 ambulance staff, 621 people working in schools or universities and 196 working or inside prisons.

  5. Job cuts 'huge blow' to economypublished at 14:37 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Castell HowellImage source, GEOGRAPH/JAGGERY

    Job losses at one of Wales' biggest food companies would have a "serious impact" on the local economy, says the leader of Carmarthenshire council.

    Castell Howell Foods is considering job losses as the firm said weekly sales were down by 65% and it fears trade is "unlikely" to recover until 2021.

    The Carmarthenshire wholesaler and processing company has entered into a period of consultation with employees, citing the drop in hospitality trade during the coronavirus crisis.

    Council leader Emlyn Dole said: "It's going to be a huge blow for us, there's no doubt about that. The food, drink and visitor sector is worth about £170m to the Camarthenshire economy, so it's bound to have a serious impact.

    "We've been working side by side with the company for years, and especially during the pandemic... we will continue to support the company, because it's not just the economic impact we're concerned about, but also the personal impact on many families that depend on the company for income.

    "We have a responsibility to look after them."

    Opposition leader Rob James said he was "saddened" to hear about possible job losses.

    "Castell Howell is a significant employer in the county and is essential to our local economy. Our fear is that this announcement may be the first of many as the UK government alters their furloughing scheme and risks a large rise in unemployment.

    "We need a back to work budget from the UK government to protect jobs at a crucial phase of the coronavirus recovery. In the meantime, we will be lobbying on behalf of Castell Howell and the wholesale sector for financial support to weather the storm."

  6. Eco mestrural products for shielding schoolgirlspublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    School-aged pupils who are self-isolating or shielding can claim free eco-friendly menstrual products.

    The Welsh Government committed more than £3.3m to tackle period poverty in schools and colleges across Wales.

    Every college, primary and secondary school across the country can access the fund, enabling them to provide free sanitary products for every learner who may need them.

    Bridgend council tweeted to say the scheme was available to those unable to return to school.

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  7. How can similar outbreaks be prevented?published at 14:26 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    High numbers of Covid-19 cases at three Welsh food factories have prompted the Welsh Government to look at what more might need to be done to stop similar outbreaks elsewhere.

    At the currently-closed 2 Sisters site in Llangefni, 175 workers have tested positive for the virus, with the number of cases at Rowan Foods in Wrexham having reached 70 last night.

    A further 35 staff at the Kepak site in Merthyr Tydfil have also tested positive for Covid-19.

    Several staff at the two north Wales sites have claimed that management at the factories failed to properly enforce rules, such as social distancing, leaving workers at risk.

    Speaking at the Welsh Government’s daily press conference, Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething said: "I’m concerned about workers at all of the plants where we have incidents or outbreaks in Wales.

    “We have 26 sites I believe in Wales, so we're looking at that whole sector within a very quick period of time to understand if we need to do more than the guidance we're going to issue."

  8. Junior doctor sings for lockdown choir TV showpublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    A junior doctor from Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales can be seen singing in a new lockdown choir series.

    BBC2's three-part series, Singing for Britain, sees Gareth Malone bringing together small groups to form virtual choirs.

    Cardiff and Vale University Health Board shared a behind-the-scenes photo of Sara Otung singing at the hospital.

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  9. Political reaction in Wales to PM's announcementpublished at 14:15 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    The Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have been reacting to the news of Boris Johnson easing lockdown laws in England.

    The Tories are calling on Wales' first minister to review lockdown rules following the prime minister's announcement today.

    Pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers can open from 4 July in England, when social distancing rules will also be eased.

    Darren Millar MS – the Shadow Minister for Covid Recovery, said: “These are safe and sensible measures which will come as a huge relief to those parts of society and the economy which would otherwise be unable to function and it is great to see them attracting cross-party support.

    “We encourage the Welsh Government to urgently review the restrictions here as soon as possible in order that a similar lifeline can be thrown to people and businesses across Wales.

    “We remain committed to working together with the Welsh Government in the interests of protecting both lives and livelihoods during the pandemic.”

    But Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has said there is still a risk to public and business confidence as lockdown measures are eased in England.

    Ms Saville Roberts highlighted issues with the UK government’s Covid app, contact tracing and a lack of support for self-isolating workers, during questioning of the prime minister in the House of Commons following the announcement.

    She said: “Lockdown easing in England is all well and good, but the Westminster government is simply not meeting its own targets when it comes to tracking and tracing the spread of the virus. This is clear from the failed app to contact tracers in England being unable to reach hundreds of potentially infected people.

    “Wales must not pay the price for these issues through an increase in infections coming across the border."

  10. Number of deaths fallingpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    The number of people dying from Covid-19 has steadily fallen since reaching its peak in April.

    graphImage source, bb
  11. Deaths across Walespublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    With the death toll reaching 1,483, this is where people across Wales have died with Covid-19.

    map
  12. Five more deaths reportedpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    The number of people who have died with Covid-19 has risen by five, according to Public Health Wales.

    It brings the total number of deaths in Wales to 1,483.

    There were also 98 new cases reported, bringing the total figure to 15,295.

    PHW publishes daily statistics of deaths, mostly occurring in hospitals, but only when the virus has been confirmed by laboratories.

  13. 'Almost all' food processing tests came back within 24 hourspublished at 13:55 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Almost all of the Covid-19 test results from the two food processing plants where there are outbreaks in north Wales came back within 24 hours, the health minister has said.

    Vaughan Gething told Tuesday's media conference that of the results which affected staff on Anglesey, "97% of those results came back within a day and it was slightly higher in the incident centred around Wrexham".

    He added that the tests were being prioritised for people connected to the outbreak and stressed the importance of testing in the area.

    "We are actually seeing for those people, in any way connected to these areas, are being prioritised and that's really important.

    "So people really do need to follow the advice they're given by a Test, Trace, Protect service."

  14. More Covid-19 cases at Wrexham food manufacturerpublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    More coronavirus cases have been identified among a Wrexham food manufacturer’s workforce.

    More than 1,000 workers in the Wrexham area have been tested since Sunday.

    A total of 70 positive cases have been identified to date.

    Dr Graham Brown, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said: “The testing process is ongoing, and as expected, we have identified additional cases associated with workers from the Rowan Foods Ltd site.

    “This does not mean that the company has been identified as the source of the infection, or that finding additional cases means the infection is increasing. However, we are identifying previously asymptomatic individuals that work for Rowan Foods Ltd with the infection."

    He added investigations are continuing and thanked the firm's workforce and wider community in Wrexham for their “swift co-operation" with the test and trace process.

    "This rapid response is providing vital information to help minimise the further spread of Covid-19 in North Wales,” he said.

    “We must remember that Covid-19 has not gone away. Incidents like this show the potential for pockets of asymptomatic, undiagnosed infection in the community, highlighting the importance of following the social distancing and hygiene measures needed to bring the outbreak to a rapid conclusion.

    “It therefore remains essential that all members of the public, including employees of Rowan Foods Ltd and their close contacts, continue to recognise the vital role they have in preventing the spread of coronavirus, to help keep north Wales safe."

  15. Investigation into death of hospital nursepublished at 13:44 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Health and safety inspectors are investigating the death of a hospital nurse who contracted the Covid-19 virus.

    An inquest into the death of 51-year-old Rizal Manalo, who worked on Ward Five at Glan Clwyd Hospital, was opened today by John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central.

    The father-of-two, who was known as “Zaldy”, was admitted to the hospital on May 25 and died in the Intensive Care Unit on June 14.

    Born in the Phillippines, he moved to north Wales in 2001 and was popular among his colleagues.

    Karen Davies, a matron on his ward, described him as “a caring and compassionate member of the team, a true gentleman".

    Mr Gittins said a full inquest was needed because it was likely that Mr Manalo had acquired the virus in his workplace and issues such as the availability of personal protection equipment needed to be considered.

    “Further enquiries are being conducted by the Health and Safety Executive,” he said.

    Adjourning the inquest to a date to be fixed, he added: “It may take a little time.”

    Rizal ManaloImage source, BETSI CADWALADR UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD
  16. What to do if you're concerned about safety in shopspublished at 13:39 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    People are being urged to contact their council is they have concerns as businesses reopen to the public.

    South Wales Police said businesses must "minimise the risk to their staff and to the customers who visit their stores".

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  17. 'No need' for inquiry into discharged care home patientspublished at 13:31 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    The health minister has dismissed calls for an inquiry into why 1,097 patients were discharged into care homes without a Covid-19 test, claiming the Welsh Government had been “really upfront” about the situation.

    The information came to light on Monday prompting calls from the Welsh Conservatives for an “urgent inquiry”.

    However, speaking at today’s press conference, Vaughan Gething said: “I don’t think there's a need for inquiry because we've been really upfront about this.

    “There's no secret about this, we were clear at the time about the evidence and the advice we had, and the decision that ministers made.

    “And my decision at the time about not introducing testing for everyone who has been discharged from the hospital into a care home was because that's where the evidence and advice was at the time.

    “We changed the decision. I made different choices when that advice changed.”

    Mr Gething added that when the discharges happened in March and April “we needed to move people out of hospital quickly… because we had to prepare our NHS for the wave that was coming.”

    He also said there was “no evidence at present” that the discharge of people from hospitals into care homes had “definitely led to excess deaths within the care home environment”.

  18. Gething: Wales 'still isn't colour blind'published at 13:26 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Wales' health minister said he was "proud of the fact" the "equalities impact" had been written into the way the devolved government and legislature in Wales had been created.

    But Vaughan Gething added: "We need to understand that the way our country works still isn't colour blind, still isn't fair, and to take out those structures isn't simply as easy as waving a magic wand or having a further inquiry."

    Mr Gething said there was a "challenge we still have to take in all areas of life, so yes you can expect to see more happen but it relies on different people making choices.

    "Leadership from the government matters, leadership in public services matters, as well.

    "It's why I previously talked about the importance of the NHS looking like its workforce, not just at the entrance end, not just the middle tier, but at the leadership end as well."

  19. Welsh NHS 'needs to do more' on race equality in senior leadershippublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Race equality is lacking in senior NHS roles in Wales, says Wales' health minister.

    Vaughan Gething said more needs to be done, following a report published on Monday on the impact of Covid-19 on Wales' black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

    He told journalists at today's Welsh Government conference: "We've made good progress on gender leadership within the health service, we've made a lot less progress in terms of what our senior leaders look like around executive board tables.

    "So within the service that I've got responsibilities I recognise we need to do more, and I think that honesty is really important if we are going to see further progress made," he said.

  20. 'No scientific briefing' given to Welsh Government on '1m plus'published at 13:18 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething says the Welsh Government was not given a scientific briefing by the UK government ahead of Boris Johnson's announcement on easing lockdown restrictions in England.

    Mr Gething said: "We have not had a scientific briefing in advance of the prime minister's announcement today."

    He told today's briefing the Welsh Government would look at the advice given to the UK government and would consider whether it allows similar lockdown easing measures in Wales.

    Mr Johnson has announced restaurants, pubs, cafes and hairdressers will reopen in England from July 4.

    Mr Johnson also said the 2m distancing rule is being reduced to 1m plus.

    Cinemas, museums and other attractions in England can also open but not "close proximity" venues like indoor gyms.