First Minister to join four nations meeting over Christmas rules
Mark Drakeford said he didn't want to abandon plans as cases rise - while frontline organisations in West Wales warn they are in "eye of storm"
Last updated 15th Dec 2020
A meeting between the leaders of all four UK nations is taking place this afternoon about whether previously-agreed plans to relax rules on households meeting over Christmas will be changed in the face of rising cases.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford told the Senedd this afternoon that changing rules designed to give people something to look forward to would be something he'd be unwilling to do:
"I have read in my own email account heart-rending, heart-rending pleas from people pleading with us not to reverse what we have agreed for Christmas.
"People who live entirely alone, who have made their arrangements to be with people for the first time in many months."
He said Covid is hitting staff levels in the NHS which is putting services under strain.
Mr Drakeford told the Senedd that staff having to isolate is causing capacity issues, and not the number of intensive care beds.
Its after two Welsh health authorities - including Swansea Bay- opted to suspend non-urgent treatment, while Hywel Dda Health Board warned communities there were "in the eye of the storm".
The cases in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area are now at an average over seven days of 316.3 per 100,000 population, and in Carmarthenshire, this is as high as 448.2 (figures 03 Dec-09 Dec).
This compares, for example, to 242 cases per 100,000 population in London, and 199 per 100,000 in Birmingham during the same period.
They warn it is putting strain on our community and hospital NHS services, with more than 150 people in local acute hospitals with COVID-19, which is more than the peak during the first phase.
Chair of Hywel Dda University Health Board Maria Battle said:
“The darkest hour is before the dawn and whilst hope is on the horizon in the form of the vaccine, this feels like our hardest hour yet.
"Our NHS and other care staff and critical workers have put themselves in harm’s way during the course of their work. Whilst we know it is hard after this time and as we approach a special time of year, the risk we all face could be greatly reduced by each of us taking action.”
Nine more people have died with coronavirus in Wales and more than 600 new positive cases have been identified,