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Ken Skates AM / AC Ken Skates MS e-newsletter 05/12/20 Vaccine breakthrough This week the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the first Covid-19 vaccine for the UK – which will start being rolled out to the most vulnerable people in Wales next week. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, along with all other NHS organisations in Wales, have carried out simulation exercises to test distribution and storage arrangements and to ensure the vaccine can be transported safely to every part of Wales. While this breakthrough is incredibly welcome news, we cannot let our guard down. The people of Clwyd South have shown throughout this crisis that we are more than up to the challenge of making sacrifices for the greater good, and I am confident we will continue in that vein. We must all continue to do our bit to prevent the spread of coronavirus to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others. Read more about vaccine deployment in Wales here and a written statement by Health Minister Vaughan Gething here. FAQs about Covid-19 vaccines can be found here Welsh Government updates Health Minister Vaughan Gething has published a written statement about changes to hospital visiting guidance. - Read more here and read the updated guidance here. The routine testing of asymptomatic frontline health and social care staff will start this month in Wales. Read more here The Welsh Government has set out further details of the £340m support package for businesses affected by the strengthened restrictions which came into effect last night. The package includes a sector specific £180m fund for hospitality and tourism businesses. Read more here Travel between Wales and areas of the UK with high rates of coronavirus is not permitted as of last night. Read more here Frequently asked questions about new national restrictions can be found here Against the backdrop of Covid-19, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah Blythyn has announced a new campaign to strengthen the knowledge and understanding of workplace rights and responsibilities. Read more here The latest Technical Advisory Cell summary report is here. Advice for students to help them return home safely is here. Latest measures in Wales The new measures are being introduced as cases of coronavirus accelerate in Wales once again, eliminating the gains made during the recent firebreak period. The virus is moving quickly across Wales, which is why the Welsh Government has acted to take further steps to protect people’s health. The advice of the SAGE committee is clear - measures are more effective when taken early. The measures we are taking will protect all parts of Wales at a time when the virus is rising in 15 of our 22 local authority areas amongst young people and amongst the over-60s. We know that the volatility of the virus means that those areas which have relatively low prevalence today can see very rapid rises in just a matter of days. While the position remains as it is, national measures in support of a national effort remain the most effective way of safeguarding us all. A recent SAGE paper has analysed all the interventions taken in the UK to see which are the most effective. These are set out here. It concludes the measures in Scotland’s level three and England’s tier three are effective. Many of these measures are already in place in Wales, but we have amended the national measures in two areas where people meet and spend time together. These regulations do not seek to single out a particular sector – this is a strengthening of the overall package national measures which seeks to protect public health and reduce the incidence of coronavirus in Wales. The alternative was to close all hospitality, as is happening in many areas of England. The Welsh Government opted to keep hospitality open so people can continue to meet indoors as well as allowing businesses to keep operating. I recognise the enormous efforts businesses in the hospitality sector have made to become safe places, and this is not a reflection on those efforts. The Welsh Government will review these regulations by December 17. Our decisions are informed by the latest available scientific evidence, which is published by the Technical Advisory Group on its website. The latest summary report can be found here. More than £1.1bn pounds of Welsh Government financial assistance has already reached businesses to help support them and to protect jobs. To support those businesses affected by these new measures, the Welsh Government will make a further £340m package of support available through the Economic Resilience Fund. This includes a specific £180m fund for hospitality and leisure businesses and the supply chain. If you have symptoms of coronavirus The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in smell or taste. If you have symptoms, however mild, you must self-isolate at home for at least 14 days from when your symptoms started. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You should arrange to have a test to see if you have coronavirus. You can book a test here You should continue to isolate while waiting for a test result. Questions about what to do if you’ve got coronavirus? Click here Where to find the latest information Public Health Wales provides a daily update about the number of cases of coronavirus in Wales. It is available here. Information is also available on the Welsh Government’s website. Business Wales offers information on support available for businesses in Wales: https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice If you can help the effort to produce PPE in Wales please visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/news-and-blogs/news/provision-critical- equipment-and-personal-protection-equipment-ppe The Welsh Government holds a regular media briefing about coronavirus. These are on-the-record, on-camera and supported by a BSL translator. They are held at 12.15pm and live-streamed on the Welsh Government Twitter channel as well as broadcast live on BBC One Wales. .
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