Coronavirus: Public's role 'crucial' in containing pandemic

Coronavirus test samplesPA Media

Samples being tested at the specialist virology centre at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff

The public has a "crucial role to play in containing the spread" of coronavirus, according an expert.

Chris Williams made the comments as Public Health Wales (PHW) announced 22 new cases of the virus, 60 in total.

He said PHW was "identifying and contacting close contacts of the new cases", which include 10 in Swansea and one in Bridgend.

He said transmission could be reduced if people self-isolated if they had any symptoms and washed their hands.

"We are trying to flatten the peak that you would expect from mathematical modelling by slowing the transmission through measures such as home isolation of cases," Dr Williams, PHW's incident director for the outbreak told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

Where are the new coronavirus cases confirmed in Wales on Saturday?

  • Two in Neath Port Talbot local authority area

  • Ten in Swansea local authority area

  • Two in Caerphilly local authority area

  • Two in Monmouthshire local authority area

  • One in Conwy local authority area

  • One in Cardiff local authority area

  • One in Bridgend local authority area

  • One in Carmarthenshire local authority area

  • Two in Powys local authority area

  • Source: PHW

Planned surgery is to be cancelled in Wales as the NHS gears up to tackle the outbreak, the health minister said on Friday.

Wales' Six Nations match against Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday has been called off and the Cardiff Bay Run and Newport Wales Marathon have been postponed.

Other sports fixtures have been widely affected.

Where are the confirmed coronavirus cases in Wales?

The local authority locations of all 60 confirmed cases to date in Wales are:

  • 14 cases in Swansea

  • 11 in Neath Port Talbot

  • Seven in Caerphilly

  • Five in Cardiff

  • Five in Powys

  • Four in Carmarthenshire

  • Four in Monmouthshire

  • Two in Newport

  • Two in Pembrokeshire

  • One in Blaenau Gwent

  • One in Conwy

  • One in Flintshire

  • One in Anglesey

  • One in Wrexham

  • One in Bridgend

  • Source: PHW

Everything you need to know about the coronavirus – explained in one minute by the BBC's Laura Foster

Angharad Davies, a professor in microbiology at Swansea University, said: "For most people this really is a mild condition and most people are not going to be seriously ill.

"The aim now is to make sure the outbreak doesn't proceed in a totally out of control fashion and overwhelm local health services.

"And the second thing is to protect those who are particularly vulnerable to infection, so the elderly and those with underlying health conditions."

The number of confirmed cases of the virus in the UK is about 800, and a total of 21 people have died.

UK ministers are understood to be working on plans to stop various types of public events.

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