News

Vaccine-sceptic care workers urged to get jabbed to save lives

Published

5 years ago

November 29, 2021

A SOCIAL CARE leader has urged the minority of vaccine-sceptic care workers in the Hywel Dda Health Authority area to get fully jabbed as a matter of urgency.

According to Mario Kreft MBE, it was a “life or death” decision because of the potential dangers posed by the newly-identified Omicron super variant of Covid-19.

The new variant was first reported in South Africa last Wednesday and the early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk.

Experts warn that it appears to spread “very rapidly” and that it can be spread between people who are double vaccinated.

It’s feared the vaccines could be less effective against the new variant, although partially or fully jabbed people were less likely to be become seriously ill.

Mr Kreft is calling on care workers and other to go for their booster jab as soon as they are eligible.

Another concern for Care Forum Wales is that any increase in community transmission could trigger another “pingdemic”, leading to greater staff shortages at the time when the sector was already struggling.

Mr Kreft said: “Having a booster jab is the one thing that people can do to play their part to combat this horrible super variant.

“Our staff have been heroic throughout the pandemic and they have risen magnificently to the unprecedented challenges of keeping people safe.

“This is the time when the whole community can do their bit but it’s especially important that people who work in care homes or in domiciliary care have their third jab.

“The reason it’s so important for people in social care to be triple jabbed is blindingly obvious because by definition they are looking after the most vulnerable people in society, those who more often than not have serious underlying health conditions that make them uniquely susceptible.

“Overwhelmingly, the staff working in social care have now had all the necessary jabs but there is still a small minority that have not been fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all in some cases.

“It is their right not to be vaccinated but it’s now a real issue of concern with the new Omicron variant which appears to be so much more transmissible.

“It presents a whole set of new risks for care homes and domiciliary care so it’s imperative we all do the right thing.

“We’re now involved in a race against time against a new and potentially extremely dangerous super variant.

“We won’t know the full extent of the dangers for a few weeks but if we wait until then it could be too late and people will die. That’s the bottom line.

“I cannot stress enough how important this is – it could be a matter of life and death for the incredibly vulnerable people for whom we provide care and for our staff too.

“In the meantime, the scientific advice is clear and unequivocal – we need to vaccinate vulnerable people and those close to them.

“Even people who have been double jabbed may not be safe so having the booster will provide the best possible protection that’s currently available to us. The booster is the only game in town.

“The people at most risk are the unvaccinated and they are the ones most likely to spread the disease.

“We do not have any room for complacency so we need to do everything we can to ensure that the people who work with vulnerable people get the booster.

“The vaccine programme has been fantastic. Most people have got their residents boosted and the majority of staff have also had the third jab so that’s been a big success.

“It’s vitally important that those remaining people in care homes and domiciliary care workers who’ve been sceptical are encouraged to get their jabs.

“Everybody has now had the opportunity to be vaccinated so there is no excuse now not to have three jabs.”

“At the same time, we also need to ensure that we have adequate cover on the front line.

“The sector is already suffering from the worst staff shortage in living memory.

“The last thing we need now is to lose more care workers as a result of a new pingdemic.

“We need to devise a system to ensure that staff are not side-lined unnecessarily whilst keeping people safe.”

Community

Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury

Published

7 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod

A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.

HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.

The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.

Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.

Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.

Entertainment

This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’

Published

7 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.

This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.

The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.

But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.

In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.

“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.

“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”

Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.

One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.

Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.

Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.

There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.

The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.

Community

Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest

Published

10 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.

The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.

The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.

Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.

He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.

They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.

Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”

He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”