‘Signs that number of people in hospitals in Wales with COVID-19 ‘stabilised’ and new admissions in decline’, says First Minister

THE First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford has said that there were signs that the number of people in hospitals in Wales with COVID-19 had ‘stabilised’ and that new admissions had started to decline.

Speaking at the Ministerial briefing for the media today, Monday (Apr 20)Mr Drakeford said that there were signs that the number of people in hospitals in Wales with COVID-19 had ‘stabilised’ and that new admissions had started to decline.

The First Minister was questioned over claims by senior care home managers that elderly people were being released into care homes and displaying symptoms of COVID-19 but having to wait more than a week for testing and further time for results.

Answering the question from Llanelli Online the First Minister said that he was puzzled by the question as people exhibiting symptoms would have been tested in hospital. He conceded that some people may have entered care homes and rapidly developed symptoms and that those people should be tested.

You can hear the full question and answer here:

The First Minister also spoke about the remarkable work of health care professionals, local authorities and businesses in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

First Minister’s briefing Apr 20

Key Points:

• Signs that number of people in hospitals in Wales with COVID-19 had stabilised
• New admissions for virus had started to decline
• Pattern persisted over weekend
• Takes confidence in measures we are all taking
• Chief constables confirm observations of restrictions remain at high level
• Thanked people across Wales for their cooperation
• Impact of virus remains real, sad and sober milestone, deaths exceeded 500 for first time
• Remembered lives lost and human cost of pandemic
• Hospice movement caring for patients, announced £6mil package of support for hospices
• Results of rapid review of testing
• Working with military to increase number of tests
• Announced £100mil into economic resilience fund
• Huge response to fund, 6,000 small businesses and social enterprises applied in first 72 hours
• Making £2bil available to small businesses and charities
• Attending virtual ceremony ahead of opening Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig
• Thanked those for helping increase capacity
• Bed stock from 10,000 to 17,000 beds
• Looking ahead, law requires review of regulations every three weeks
• Looking at strengthening regulations people travelling to second homes in Wales
• Allowing children with conditions incl autism to exercise more than once a day
• See impact of rapid review this week
• Focus on streamlining path from person who needs test to getting test done
• Not going to get to 5,000 figure of tests we hoped to mid month
• Will report every week on number of tests available in Wales on daily basis
• Not setting target for tests but will report every week
• Inevitable circulation of virus in community will grow in some places
• Using Public Health Service on ground to pursue further outbreaks and test
• Make maximum use of public health but may consider using university students to resource community surveillance to monitor outbreaks of COVID-19, a presence on the ground, spotting, tracing and isolating
• Grange Hospital provision is there should it be required. We have capacity in the current provision for COVID and non COVID
• It is a sign of success we have had from efforts to increase capacity in existing system and through actions of people in Wales, not had throughput we were expecting
• Use of Calon Ddraig hospital used for step-down in first instance, release capacity in main hospitals for those who need critical and acute care
• Remarkable story to turn world famous rugby stadium into hospital sign of amazing collective effort
• Praised private businesses in Wales for their response to crisis
• High percentage of cases in Aneurin Bevan health board area may be as a result of community demographics including poverty and ageing population
• Should not be delay in testing for elderly being released into care homes. People with symptoms are tested in hospital, some can develop symptoms quickly and we carried out review to accelerate testing for people in those circumstances.
• Important that heads of UK Gov get together regularly to make decisions on COVID emergency
• Wales will consider investigation into disproportionate high number of cases of COVID-19 in black and ethnic minority groups if it is required
• Already announced £104 mil for Welsh Local Gov
• Praised local authorities for stepping in and the work they are carrying out

Listen to the briefing in full here;