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Staff at a mass vaccination center in Cardiff tested positive for COVID-19 amid a sharp increase in the infection rate in the city.
Cardiff and the Vale University Board of Health (CVUHB) did not confirm which center was affected, but said that anyone identifying themselves as a close contact would isolate themselves.
It occurs when new test sites are opening in the city due to an increase in cases, and the infection rate increased by 90% last week alone.
“We can confirm that several staff members tested positive at one of our mass vaccination centers,” CVUHB said in a tweet. “We are implementing staff testing at the center and anyone who is identified as a close contact will be asked to isolate themselves.
“Currently, no additional risk has been identified for anyone who has been vaccinated at the center. We would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that the virus is still prevalent in our local communities.”
The Welsh capital’s positivity rate (percentage of positive tests) of 18% shows that it is “clear that the virus is spreading through the community, which makes it extremely difficult to contain,” the Cardiff Council said.
There is currently a mass testing site located at Cardiff City Stadium and a local testing site on Museum Avenue.
More local test sites will open this week: in the Ely parking lot, the former Parkview Medical Center and the Cardiff Bay County Hall parking lot.
Additional local test site locations could also be available in January.
Council leader Huw Thomas said residents should book a test if they feel unwell or show any symptoms of COVID-19, stressing that “testing has never been easier.”
He added: “We are now at a stage where the increase in numbers is marked. If we don’t follow the rules, our NHS and our services could be invaded by Christmas. Current predictions are dire.
“Hospital resources are expanding and staff are being pushed to the limit after their experience at the acute end of the pandemic.”
There have been nearly 16,000 confirmed cases within CVUHB, Thomas said, with 11 people currently in intensive care units and 278 members of the medical and nursing staff unable to work because they isolate themselves.
