Thousands more in Wales told to shield from coronavirus

The number of people being shielded in Wales has risen to 121,000, the Welsh health minister has said.

An extra 21,000 people had been added to the patient list after additional medical conditions were added to the criteria.

Letters will be sent this week to "high-risk" patients, Vaughan Gething said.

People shielding are asked to stay home until at least 15 June, and can get help with obtaining essentials.

They are people determined to have medical conditions, such as those causing individuals to have reduced immunity, that make them more vulnerable to coronavirus.

Additional support includes weekly free food boxes, and priority delivery slots at supermarkets.

Patients with renal dialysis are among those who will be receiving the new letters.

More cancers have also been added to the list of conditions that require an individual to shield.

Initially Chief Medical Officer Frank Atherton sent 88,000 letters, and a further 12,000 GP referrals have been made since.

"The majority of these patients are within the high-risk categories already identified and have been identified as a result of updated searches of our secondary care systems," Mr Gething said.

"Local authorities and the major food retailers will receive the updated Welsh Shielded Patient List at the same time so that the additional people identified can access the support being provided."

• What Covid-19 decisions are made in Wales?

The category includes

• people with reduced immunity

• respiratory diseases/predisposing lung diseases or heart conditions

• patients who have had transplants recently

• people with specific cancers such as blood cancers, severe asthma and cystic fibrosis

• patients with severe single organ disease (liver failure, heart failure, kidney failure)

• some other unusual conditions and some drug therapies

• pregnant women or children with significant heart disease.

A list can be found at the Welsh Government website.

People are asked to stay-at-home until 15 June, and not to go out unless they absolutely have to.

However the advice is not compulsory.

In April 13,000 shielding letters were revealed to have gone to the wrong addresses - a data breach that was referred to the Information Commissioner's Office.