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News

Covid cases at highest locally since January

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R-rate as high as before the last lockdown

Positive tests rise

Vaccination programme reduces hospitalisations

THE LOCAL rate of community transmission of Covid-19 is now as high as it was when Wales entered lockdown in January this year

The Herald investigated a suggestion that the number of cases of confirmed Covid infections was increasing, and businesses were caught between a general shortage of staff and a rising number of staff absences caused by Covid-19.

THE CURRENT NUMBERS

Data shared with The Herald by Hywel Dda UHB shows that the R-rate, used as an indicator for Covid-19’s spread, is now 1.44.

That means that every person infected with Covid transmits the virus to more than 1 person.

Earlier this year, before lockdown eased, the R-rate was around 0.8.

The rate is now headed towards an autumn and winter peak, the same as 2020.

In the last month, the number of positive tests for the killer virus in the Hywel Dda UHB area has significantly increased.

On August 25 alone, the Board recorded 264 confirmed new cases.

In each of the last three weeks to August 25, the number of confirmed new cases has risen.

That fits the national picture, which shows cases rising at a much sharper rate now than they did at the beginning of the second wave in October last year.

However, and importantly, the rates for hospitalisation for those infected with Covid have fallen.

That suggests that the Welsh Government’s vaccination programme has loosened the link between Covid infection and the type of serious sickness that needs hospital treatment as a result.

Although the Welsh Government has extended its vaccination programme to include young people, take-up among that group remains relatively low.

Swayed by scare stories and the sort of pseudo-science peddled online, some in older age groups have either been deterred from taking the vaccine when it’s offered or refused it altogether.

Reaching those groups, potentially at greater risk than younger people, and addressing the gap in vaccine take-up among BAME individuals, remains a major challenge for the Welsh Government.

To take two data points four weeks apart, in the week to August 3, there were five Covid deaths in Wales.
In the week ending August 31, that number was 18.

Five new deaths were recorded on August 31 alone.

The drivers for those increases are undoubtedly this summer’s relaxation of restrictions on social distancing, the opening of nightclubs and bars, and a significant drop in the number of people wearing masks or taking the same precautions as they did before Wales moved to Level Zero.

Those factors, combined with the greater infectiousness of Covid’s Delta variant, mean that Wales heads into the autumn – and the flu season – with more sick people and a greater likelihood of abnormal seasonal strains on NHS services.

SCHOOLS’ RETURN LIKELY TO HAVE AN IMPACT

As schools and further education colleges return from the summer holiday and universities return later in September, the number of young people mixing together will inevitably rise.It follows that the increased number of contacts increases the possibility of infection with Covid-19.Headteachers have criticised new guidance from the WelshGovernment for schools as being both too late in the day and contradictory.

Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union, NAHT Cymru, said: “We welcome the fact that schools have until 20 September to transition to the new framework.
“However, there are elements of the framework that are contradictory and likely to lead to confusion.
“The framework states that Wales is at low risk, yet the Welsh Government instructed schools to continue with lateral flow testing on secondary pupils and all school staff. According to today’s framework, that is a practice for when we are at high risk.
“The advice refers to rising hospital admissions and the seven-day rolling incidence of infection, which appears to put us in the moderate risk category.
“Added to this, there is a lack of differentiation between the measures to take, depending on the risk level. When we are talking risk, when we are planning for what we want to be a sustainable return, we must be absolutely clear of the risk level.”

In the three-weekly Covid update delivered last week, Mark Drakeford said: “Coronavirus has not gone away. While we are able to remain at Alert Level Zero, we must not abandon all the simple measures which have done so much to keep us all safe.”

When questioned, the First Minister refused to rule out reimposing restrictions if the situation deteriorated.

Russell George, the Shadow Health Minister, responded to that prospect: “Talk of reimposing restrictions is completely unnecessary at this stage.
“Moving forward we need to ensure all public health decisions in Wales are taken on the best possible data, with a focus on hospitalisation figures and a clear breakdown of those who are admitted due to COVID or other illnesses, and also those who acquire it in a hospital setting.”

In July, an S4C investigation revealed a quarter of all deaths from Covid-19 in Wales arose from hospital transmission.

PRESSURES AGAINST LOCKDOWN

Both the UK and Welsh Governments are determined to avoid any further lockdown or reimposition of restrictions now relaxed.

Much, however, depends on how long vaccination programmes, including booster shots and an extended flu vaccination programme in Wales, can keep a lid on the number of hospitalisations and whether a new and more infectious strain arises.

The issue is especially acute in the UK, which has fewer Intensive Care Beds per head of population and fewer Intensive

Care specialists than any other Western European nation.

At the start of the pandemic, Wales’s ICU bed capacity was 153.

That is 4.9 for every 100,000 of our population.

In Croatia, a country of approximately the same population and around the same size of Wales, the number of ICU beds was 14.7 for every 100,000 of population.

Any further pressure on Wales’s sensitive NHS capacity will have an inevitable knock-on effect on the availability and promptness of diagnoses and treatments for chronic conditions, including heart disease and cancer.

The picture is further complicated by a yawning gap between the demand for social care staff and the number of applicants for job vacancies.

Those pressures, combined with the economic costs of lockdown, act as an effective brake on governments’ range of actions.

And that’s setting aside the inevitable political fallout of new restrictions’ imposition, especially in Westminster.

News

Proposed Pembrokeshire village ‘traveller site’ sparks 300-strong petition

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NATIONAL PARK planners are expected to back a call to visit a proposed new ‘traveller site’ on the outskirts of a Pembrokeshire village, which has seen a petition of nearly 300 objections, before making any formal decision.

Nearly 300 people have signed a petition against the creation of one traveller site incorporating one static caravan, one touring caravan, day/utility room and ecological enhancements (partly retrospective) on land at Froghall Yard, Moreton Lane, Saundersfoot.

The objection to the site is also being shared by the village’s community council.

Around 50 people attended a recent meeting of the community council when members voted unanimously to object to the application.

The application is made by Dai Evans of Pontypool, through agents Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd.

Saundersfoot Community Council is recommending that the plans are turned down.

Members have pointed out that the site is agricultural land, with no caravan or other use in over 30 years.

They added: “This previously unspoilt location is an important part of the landscape setting of the village.”

There was also concern that the site – where two previous planning applications had been rejected – is overlooked from Incline Way above and cannot be screened,

Councillors were ‘frustrated’ that extensive clearance work had already taken place on site, with multiple mature trees removed and apparently disturbing a badger habitat.

They continued: “‘Permission here would be gross overdevelopment setting a precedent for development literally anywhere throughout the National Park, including the additional land owned by the applicant adjacent to the application site.”

The community council’s objection finishes: “The applicant lives in Pontypool and claims no connection to the area.  There is no rationale as to why the applicant chose a site approximately 100 miles away from their home.”

A supporting statement accompanying the application states: “The applicant belongs to a long-standing Romany Gypsy family and generations have lived a traditional and cultural lifestyle living in caravans all their lives.

“Mr Evans and his partner currently reside on an overcrowded Traveller site in Pontypool where living conditions are poor. They currently only live in rented accommodation and its brick and mortar and not in keeping with their cultural preference, as they prefer to live in a caravan.”

It says Mr Evans and family have stayed in a touring caravan at the site during the summer months since the late 1980s when it was owned by another gypsy family, later purchased by Mr Evans in 2023, clearing and refurbishing the site.

“The application’s aspirations are to continue his Gypsy culture and traditions residing in a caravan on site.”

At the April 9 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, members are recommended to agree to a site visit ahead of any formal decision on the scheme, on the grounds of public interest.

If a site visit is agreed, the application will be heard at a future national park meeting.

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News

First Minister avoids questions on PIP cuts

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CARMARTHENSHIRE WOMAN FEARS LOSING HOME OVER PROPOSALS

THE FIRST MINISTER of Wales has once again declined to give her view on controversial plans to cut Personal Independence Payments (PIP), despite mounting concern from the public and members of the Senedd.

During First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday (April 1), Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru MS for Mid and West Wales, challenged Eluned Morgan to clarify her stance after hearing from residents in Llanelli affected by the proposed changes.

Mr Campbell told the Senedd he had recently attended a People Speak Up event in Llanelli, where he spoke with constituents worried about the impact of losing their disability payments.

“One woman was concerned she would lose her house. Another said she might have to cut back on food if her PIP was withdrawn,” he said. “This is the seriousness of the situation facing people in our communities.”

He continued: “You were elected, like me, by the people of Mid and West Wales to represent and advocate for them. Can I ask, is this the kind of policy you expected from a Labour-led government in Westminster? A policy that’s going to hit the most vulnerable in our society and push thousands more people into poverty? Is this what you mean by ‘a partnership in power’?”

Despite the direct appeal, the First Minister again refused to offer an opinion on the policy.

Her continued silence follows an earlier refusal to comment during a session of the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister on Friday (March 28), where she also declined to express support or criticism.

This is at odds with recent claims by the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, who said that Eluned Morgan welcomed the policy.

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Health

Welsh Government advances Baby Bundle initiative to support families

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THE WELSH GOVERNMENT is set to roll out its revamped Baby Bundle programme aimed at easing the financial burden on expectant families, particularly in some of the country’s most deprived areas. The initiative, which remains a cornerstone of the Programme for Government, was detailed by Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care, in a recent statement.

Under the new scheme, £2.5 million has been earmarked for the 2025–26 financial year. Families living within core Flying Start areas will receive a Baby Bundle designed to provide essential items such as a warm blanket, clothing, and crucial information about local support services. The bundles are intended to help reduce everyday costs for families and are aligned with the Government’s broader Child Poverty Strategy.

In addition to the primary distribution, health practitioners will be able to offer Baby Bundles through Flying Start Outreach to a limited number of families outside these designated areas who are in need of extra support. The programme’s targeted approach is expected to make a tangible difference by alleviating some of the financial pressures faced by those living in economically challenged communities.

The tender specification for the procurement of the Baby Bundle programme is scheduled to go live later this week. The procurement process will run until mid-May 2025, with officials set to assess bids and aim for a contract award by the end of June. Once the process is successfully completed, the registration for receiving the Baby Bundle is anticipated to commence by the end of November.

The Government is also working closely with midwives and other health professionals to finalise the registration process, ensuring a smooth rollout. As part of its wider efforts to boost the uptake of Welsh Benefits, the Baby Bundle initiative will feature prominently in campaigns designed to raise awareness among families about the available support.

This proactive step underscores the Welsh Government’s commitment to not only meeting immediate needs but also to fostering long-term improvements in family welfare across the region. Further updates on the programme’s progress are expected in the coming months.

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