Covid: Emergency Welsh Government meeting over new strain

Mark Drakeford earlier took part in a call with other UK leaders

Welsh ministers are in emergency talks to discuss "serious concerns" over the spread of a new strain of Covid-19.

First Minister Mark Drakeford took part in a call with representatives of the UK's devolved nations after a surge in cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced tougher rules for Christmas, in response to rising cases.

Tier four restrictions have been announced for London and the south east of England.

England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said government advisers consider the new strain can spread more quickly.

Cases of the new strain have been confirmed in Wales..

In a tweet, Mr Drakeford said: "I attended a four nation call earlier today to discuss serious concerns over the spread of a new Covid variant.

"I will chair a meeting of the Welsh Government Cabinet at 2pm today."

Welsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies called on Mr Drakeford to address the nation "urgently" over the rising case rates, and for an emergency recall of the Senedd.

"Given the speed of spread of this new strain and its presence in south Wales, it's clear Labour ministers are going to have to make some very difficult but swift decisions," he said on Twitter.

• New Covid strain: How worried should we be?

• Q&A: Which rules are changing and when?

The first minister had already announced a Wales-wide lockdown, with people being told to "stay home", which will begin on 28 December when the Christmas relaxation of rules ends.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned more preventative action may be "necessary" to stop the strain taking hold.

The warning comes as scientists continue to evaluate the spread of the new variant in south-east England, where there are "growing concerns" about its transmission.

The UK said it had now informed the World Health Organisation it had concluded the strain could spread more quickly.

What are the Christmas rules?

In Wales rules for who can meet over Christmas had already been tightened, following a surge in coronavirus cases in communities in recent days.

The Welsh Government had come under pressure from medical professionals who warned without an urgent lockdown before the festive period critical care would be "unable to cope".

Three households can meet in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland between 23 to 28 December, following a UK-wide agreement.

But in Wales this has been reduced to two households, with a further single person household allowed to meet with them, with the rule made law.

Viruses do mutate - so this development should not come as a complete surprise.

There is nothing to suggest it causes more serious illness or would impact the ability of the vaccines to work.

But preliminary investigation suggests it is leading to faster transmission.

That clearly is causing concern, especially ahead of Christmas when relaxing restrictions mean there is more opportunity for the virus to spread.

It may well explain why infection rates started increasing in London during lockdown - something that has baffled experts.

What is the case rate in Wales?

A total of 120,432 positive cases have been confirmed in Wales since the start of the pandemic, and 3,046 people have now died with Covid-19.

The most recent data shows that all of the UK's seven most infected local authorities are in Wales.

Almost all health boards in Wales have now suspended some non-emergency services, as the demand on services increases.

On Saturday, Swansea Bay Health Board, where the case rate stands at 877.1 per 100,000 of the population, warned emergency departments were extremely busy.

The health board, which treats people in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, has urged people not to travel for Christmas but to "stay home" on messages on social media.

The case rate for Wales has jumped to 592.3 cases per 100,000 for the past seven days, up from 530.2 on Thursday.

The seven day rolling case rate remains highest in Merthyr Tydfil at 1,233.3, followed by Bridgend on 1,028.2 and Blaenau Gwent on 929.