Summary

  • Ineos previously said it would create up to 500 jobs at new site in Bridgend

  • Public Health Wales recorded no new deaths in its daily statistics on Monday

  • However, deaths are retrospectively added when they become known, so it does not mean no-one died with coronavirus

  • In total, 1,534 people in Wales have died with the virus

  • Beauty salons says it is "ridiculous" hairdressers can reopen from 13 July, but the wider industry cannot

  1. Goodbyepublished at 14:38 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Here's your afternoon update as we bring today's live coverage to an end:

  2. 'The only UK nation without a date'published at 14:35 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Welsh restaurants have called for a date for inside opening.

    Ahead of the reopening of the hospitality sector next week, restaurateur Simon Wright told BBC Radio Wales: "First of all we need a date for inside opening, we're the only UK nation that hasn't set that date.

    "That uncertainty in itself costs jobs, it means businesses are unable to plan and no actual prospect of the moment of significant income streams.

    He added that outside opening is very welcome but "it probably represents less then 15% of the capacity of their entire business because a lot of places can't open outside."

    Asked about the pub closures in England after positive Covid-19 tests, Mr Wright said: "We certainly don't want to be taking risks with people's health, but at the same time we have to look at what the effect is on the industry."

  3. Where have the deaths occurred across Wales?published at 14:27 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Map
  4. Carwyn Jones angry over Ineos planspublished at 14:16 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    The decision by Ineos to suspend plans to build a factory in Bridgend was a financial one, not Covid-19 related, according to Bridgend MS Carwyn Jones.

    “I don’t accept for one minute that this had anything to do with covid,” he told BBC Radio Cymru.

    “This is a decision that they don’t want to invest in the UK - there’s nothing more to it in my opinion.

    “I’ve heard a lot of things in politics over the years, but I’ve never seen this before, when a company say that they want to support the UK, but once the money’s on the table, that’s not what they do.

    “I’m incredibly angry. There was an agreement and they’ve gone back on that.”

    The new factory was expected to create about 200 jobs initially to make the new all-terrain Grenadier vehicle.

    The company said the decision follows talks with Mercedes-Benz over the acquiring of their Hambach site in Moselle, France.

  5. Graph shows the number of deaths since Marchpublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Three more people with coronavirus are reported to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,534, according to Public Health Wales.

    No deaths were reported on Monday.

    Graph
  6. Three more deaths with coronavirus in Walespublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Three more people with coronavirus are reported to have died in Wales, taking the total to 1,534.

    Public Health Wales figures also showed there were seven new cases reported, meaning 15,900 people have tested positive for Covid-19.

    To date, 150,392 individuals have been tested for coronavirus in Wales, with 134,492 testing negative.

    A total of 202,049 tests have been carried out, with some people having been tested more than once.

    Virus graphic
  7. 'Urgent clarity' needed over Ineospublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    GrenadierImage source, Ineos

    The need for fresh investment in Bridgend is "greater than ever," says the council leader.

    “We require urgent clarity not only over what Ineos intends to do, but on what action the Welsh government and the UK government will be taking in response to this latest development," said Huw David.

    He says he is writing to ministers to seek further clarification they will continue work on "delivering solutions designed to make and encourage urgent new investment and employment, safeguard existing jobs and ensure the long-term economic well-being of the county borough".

  8. £470m NHS debt written offpublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    The £470m owed by NHS organisations in Wales has been written off so they can focus on recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Health minister Vaughan Gething said: "This level of historic deficit is clearly a barrier to the NHS as it starts to plan for the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and it holds these health boards back from achieving financial balance.

    "Until now, there has been an expectation NHS organisations would repay this deficit and the cash support.

    "To do this, they would need to generate underspends. I have decided the £470m of cash support will not need to be repaid and when an organisation achieves its three-year break-even duty, it will not be required to repay any historic deficits.

    "This will provide certainty to these organisations, helping them to focus on the immediate recovery from coronavirus, while also planning for the future and striving for financial balance."

  9. Goal to 'maximise face-to-face contact' in schoolspublished at 13:36 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Wales' education minister says her goal is to “maximise” face-to-face contact between pupils and teachers in schools in September.

    Kirsty Williams told the Senedd’s children, young people and education committee she intends making a definitive statement on plans for the autumn term later this week.

    She says she recognises pupils, parents and school staff want as much clarity as possible.

    She says she is waiting for a final piece of scientific advice on how transmittable Covid-19 is between children, and the effect it has, in order to base her decisions on the latest information.

    “I am clear my goal is to maximise the face-to-face contact that children will have with their teachers in school settings and to minimise the disruption that the virus has already and has the potential to continue to cause,” she said.

    schoolImage source, PA Media
  10. 'Don’t want to give false hope' on antibody transfusionspublished at 13:24 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    plasma

    Antibody transfusion trials in Wales are “very encouraging”, says the health minister.

    These trials involve taking blood plasma from people that have already recovered from Covid-19 and transferring it into other people.

    Vaughan Gething announced these trials last week and has maintained it is too early to release any results.

    “As and when we do have results, we will want to share, but in a way that is responsible, we don’t want to give people false hope”, he says.

    Mr Gething highlighted that in the past antibody transfusion has shown to be an effective treatment against both SARS and Ebola.

  11. 'Immense stress and worry'published at 13:17 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    The stress and worry to people due to work at the Ineos site in Bridgend must be "immense", says Ogmore MP Chris Elmore.

    "Today’s announcement from Ineos about their review into operations at Brocastle is deeply concerning. The timing itself is a major concern, coming amidst the ongoing pandemic. The stress and worry to workers and their families must be immense.

    "To Ineos, I would simply say that turning their backs on their the Bridgend plant and the superb workforce there would be a calamity - for the local economy, the community,but also for the company themselves. I urge them to reconsider."

  12. Faster testing 'a real priority'published at 13:11 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Increasing the speed at which coronavirus tests are processed is a “real priority”, says Mr Gething.

    The health minister says he is meeting officials on Tuesday afternoon, external “to understand what’s being done and when I can expect to see those further improvements being made".

    In the last week of June, only 49.4% of results were being processed within a day and 74.4% within two days.

    The government's scientific advisers have said contact tracing systems "perceived to be most successful" , externalrequire results within 24 hours.

    Mr Gething says the speed of the test results makes a difference to the effectiveness of the contact tracing system.

    “Because as soon as those results are available, they’re passed on to that ‘Test, Trace, Protect’ service to begin the process of not just notifying that person but obviously follow-up contact tracing,” he said.

    He added he would say more on the practical changes to improve test processing speed “over the next few days”.

  13. Revised testing strategy due next weekpublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    testImage source, Getty Images

    There is still no evidence to support a widespread programme of testing people who don’t Covid-19 symptoms, the health minister says.

    But Mr Gething added that he intends to publish a revised testing strategy by the end of next week.

    “At this point in time, the evidence still isn't there to suggest we should have a widespread programme of testing groups of people who don't have symptoms,” he says.

    He explained the benefit of conducting more asymptomatic testing was being reviewed with scientists and the chief medical officer, but due to the test being 98% accurate, some people would have to isolate “unnecessarily” after getting a positive result even though they don’t actually have coronavirus.

    “That’s a significant factor for us to consider,” Mr Gething said.

    “I can though say that I'm expecting to have a revised testing strategy with updated advice information and evidence to underpin it, and I expect to be able to publish that revised strategy before the end of this Senedd term so by the end of next week at the latest.”

  14. When would Welsh government need to close premises down?published at 13:06 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Mr Gething has explained the circumstances under which the Welsh government might need to close premises in the event of an outbreak.

    He said one example would be where the "workplace was a motor for community transmission and closing that workplace would help keep the people safe and prevent transmission".

    "If we did get to the point where there was wider community transmission, whether that's people not following the advice of our Test Trace Protect service, or we just got there too late and community transmission have taken place, that may be a time where wider community measures may be necessary," he said.

    He reiterated that people are following advice and employers have co-operated with public health officials.

    press briefing
  15. Test 'specific and accurate'published at 13:03 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Mr Gething says he'd be happy to look at comments made by the British Medical Association, which suggested a third of all negative Covid-19 tests were incorrect.

    "The evidence I've seen is the test that we've developed here in Wales is very specific and very accurate," he said.

    "It's 98% accurate, which is a very high level of accuracy, and doesn't accord with the 1/3 figure that you've given.

    "I'll happily look at the comments the British Medical Association have made to understand if there is a real issue there, but that doesn't accord with the information that I've been given by our own scientists here and - indeed - the scientists at Public Health Wales."

  16. Should face masks be worn in public?published at 12:59 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    face coveringsImage source, Getty Images

    The Welsh government is “continuing to look” at the evidence as to whether face coverings should be made mandatory in public places in Wales, Mr Gething says.

    The head of the UK's national academy of science has suggested everyone should wear a face covering in crowded public spaces.

    The Welsh government has recommended people wear three-layer face coverings on public transport and other situations where social distancing is not possible.

    Mr Gething says he will look at evidence from SAGE and speak to Wales’ chief medical officer about whether to change existing guidance.

    “At this point we are continuing to look at the evidence and today's comments are part of what we’ll need to consider doing as we help to keep Wales safe now and in the future,” he added.

  17. 'A significant step backwards'published at 12:54 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    The announcement by Ineos is “extremely disappointing”, the health minister says.

    Vaughan Gething warned of a “significant step backwards” and described it as "extremely disappointing"

    He added: “If they do go ahead and decide not to make that investment then that would be a really significant step backwards for Bridgend, and a very difficult day for people looking to their future."

    daily briefing
  18. 'A terrible decision for Wales'published at 12:52 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Ken SkatesImage source, getty

    "Abandoning Bridgend" would be a "terrible decision" by Ineos, says Wales' economy and transport minister Ken Skates.

    “I am incredibly disappointed that Ineos has indicated they are reconsidering their move to Wales," he said.

    “I have told the CEO that abandoning Bridgend at this late stage, after so much effort and money has been invested in preparing the site, would be a terrible decision for Wales and the UK.

    “We have worked closely with the company in good faith to secure the site in Bridgend and it would be a real blow if Ineos reneged on its very public commitment that it would be locating here."

    He added it has been “impressed on the company in no uncertain terms the importance of honouring its commitment to Wales and to deliver on its promise to build a British icon here in Britain".

  19. 'No evidence' of factory outbreak spreading to communitiespublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    The 2 Sisters siteImage source, Google

    There is no evidence of wider community transmission following the coronavirus outbreaks at three food meat and food processing plants, Mr Gething says.

    The 2 Sisters plant at Llangefni on Anglesey restarted work on Sunday after a phased return of the workforce on Friday.

    The total number of cases associated with the outbreak at the factory has been confirmed at 218.

    Mr Gething says the outbreak control team at Llangefni was continuing to closely monitor any signs of wider infection in the community but "to date, it appears the outbreak has been confined to people associated with the factory site".

    He says there have also been 289 confirmed cases at Rowan Foods in Wrexham - an increase of six since last week, again with no evidence of wider transmission beyond people working on the site and their close contacts.

    There had been "a small increase" in the number of cases in Kepak, Merthyr Tydfil. 135 cases have now been identified, which date back to April.

    Mr Gething says he is prepared to use legal powers to close facilities, "which pose a public health risk from coronavirus, if this is necessary".

    He says the advice he has deceived to date was that if the measures implemented were followed, then further interventions will not be needed or justified.

  20. 'An unfinished journey'published at 12:41 British Summer Time 7 July 2020

    Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething says yesterday's announcement of no new coronavirus deaths was "an important moment on our unfinished journey".

    Speaking at the Welsh government's daily coronavirus press conference, Mr Gething said: "I don’t want to raise people’s hopes prematurely – unfortunately, coronavirus is still with us".

    He said a small number of new infections were still being confirmed every day.

    "That means it is likely that we will sadly see some more deaths recorded over the coming days and weeks ahead.

    "But when we look back over the past few weeks there have now been three days where nobody died from coronavirus.

    "I hope there will be many more days in front of us when we see no deaths from coronavirus. More days where no more families grieve the loss of a loved one from this virus."