Coronavirus in Powys round-up: Sunday, December 20

One more person has died with the virus in Powys, according to Public Health Wales.

Wales is in a national lockdown following concerns that a new strain of the virus is circulating across the country.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething told BBC Radio Wales on Sunday morning that the new strain was "in every part of Wales, including right across north Wales".

Across Wales, 69 more people have died after contracting the virus, and there are 2,334 new cases.

READ MORE:

• All you need to know about Wales' Level Four lockdown
• Coronavirus in Powys: Breakdown of Cases by Area

Why has this new coronavirus variant become such an issue suddenly?

It is normal for viruses to mutate, and the new variant of coronavirus that is now circulating in the UK is as a result of such a mutation.

Public Health Wales said it thinks the new variant has been circulating since at least November 1. So far, more than 1,400 cases have been identified in England, mainly in the south-east.

As of December 14 around 20 cases have been confirmed in Wales but the true figure is likely to be higher (several hundreds).

Experts are concerned about the impact of this particular variant because of how common it is, and how fast it spreads.

Powys stats

Confirmed cases – 2,037

New cases in December 20 data – 32

Rate of new cases per 100,000 in week to December 15 – 219.7

Powys position among Welsh local authorities for rate of new cases – 17th out of 22

Why are figures lower in Powys?

Deaths of Powys residents can be skewed as many of the county’s patients deemed acute are transferred to hospitals in England. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures therefore are usually considered a stronger indicator of the overall impact of the virus, and which are based on all deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate. ONS figures stand at 128 in Powys.

Newly-confirmed cases day-by-day

Sunday, December 20 - 32

Saturday, December 19 - 38

Friday, December 18 – 36

Thursday, December 10 – 182

Wednesday, December 9 – 9

Tuesday, December 15 – 8

Monday, December 14 – 15

Sunday, December 13 – N/A

The national picture

Wales went into national lockdown from midnight on Sunday, December 20, to contain the spread of coronavirus.

First Minister Mark Drakeford made the announcement on Saturday afternoon after talks with the devolved governments and Michael Gove about a new strain of the virus.

The new restrictions came into effect from midnight tonight instead of during the Christmas period. Festive bubbles of up to two households can be formed for Christmas Day only.

Mr Drakeford said: "Unfortunately, we must also look again at the arrangements for Christmas – we cannot expose people to the risk of this new, more virulent strain of coronavirus."

Non-essential retail, close contact services, gyms and leisure centres and hospitality businesses were told to close at the end of trading on Saturday, December 19.

Public Health Wales statement

Dr Giri Shankar, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “Public Health Wales is working with the Welsh Government, local health boards, local authorities and other partners following the announcement of national restrictions in Wales from midnight December 20.

“Under the new restrictions, people must stay at home, except for very limited purposes. People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with. Non-essential retail, close contact services, gyms and leisure centres, and hospitality will also close.

“Rules which allow two households to come together to form a Christmas bubble will now apply on Christmas Day only.

“As indicated by the Welsh Government, the immediate introduction of new restrictions is related to the identification of a new more transmissible variant of Coronavirus. Public Health Wales has been working with UK partners to investigate and respond to this variant.

“It is normal for viruses to undergo mutations, and we expect this to happen. Although the variant is easier to transmit, there is currently no evidence that it is more severe.

“We are reminding people that all current guidance relating to Coronavirus continues to apply to the new variant, including advice relating to symptoms, social distancing, self-isolation, and vaccination.

“The new variant shows up as positive in Public Health Wales’ existing Coronavirus tests, and people must continue to seek a test in the usual way if they develop Coronavirus symptoms.

“If you or a member of your household develop a cough, fever or change in sense of taste or smell, you must self-isolate immediately and book a free Coronavirus test, either by calling 119 or by clicking here.

“Public Health Wales urges everyone to follow the rules, to avoid transmission of Coronavirus and to protect everyone in our communities, including the most vulnerable."