Covid: Plaid Cymru calls for extra support for infection hotspots
- Published
Rhondda Cynon Taf has had the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in Wales
People self-isolating in Covid hotspots should be given a "topped-up" grant of £800, Plaid Cymru has said.
It wants a package of extra support for ex-industrial areas with high infection rates, such as Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
These areas, the party said, should be prioritised for mass testing, with more resources for test and trace teams.
Ministers said they had put national support measures in place and provided an extra £15.7m for contact tracing.
Anyone in Wales is able to claim £500 if they have to stay off work due to coronavirus.
Plaid Cymru will raise the need for "Covid Special Support Areas" in a Senedd debate on Wednesday, saying research from the north of England suggests post-industrial communities may be disproportionately affected by the virus.
Mass testing and asymptomatic testing of residents is part of the package the party would like to see implemented in current hotspots.
Last week, First Minister Mark Drakeford said "military planners" would be joining a team led by Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board to look at the possibility of introducing whole-town testing in Merthyr Tydfil, similar to the system being trialled in Liverpool.
In Liverpool military personnel have been drafted to help at test sites including at Liverpool FC's stadium
According to Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru Senedd member for Rhondda, "additional support is needed for those who are clinically vulnerable, who cannot work from home, but who live and work in areas of high Covid-19 prevalence".
"People who can't work from home but who are clinically vulnerable shouldn't be put in the situation where they have to choose between risking their health and putting food on the table," she added.
"There are extra measures that can be taken to help everyone in the region - special support areas could automatically be given priority for mass testing programmes and early roll out of vaccines.
"Self-isolation grants could be increased from £500 to £800 to make sure that clinically vulnerable people could afford to stay at home and stay safe."
Plaid Cymru says the designated support areas should also be prioritised for any vaccine rollout.
In all, the party lists 13 measures to help tackle the virus in any hotspots - including dispersal orders in town centres after pub closures, the provision of voluntary accommodation for anyone unable to self-isolate safely at home and more support for businesses so they can close voluntarily on a temporary basis.
What do Welsh ministers say?
The Welsh Government said it had put in place a "broad range" of national support measures in response to the pandemic.
"Most recently, the health minister announced an extra £15.7m to nearly double the contact tracing workforce in Wales for the winter," a spokesperson said.
"We continue to actively review the prevalence of Covid-19 infection rates across Wales, given the high prevalence of Covid-19 infection rates in some areas, and we will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to keep Wales safe."