Sixteen more people die after contracting coronavirus in Wales

The number of people who died in Wales after contracting the coronavirus reached 1,132 after 16 more deaths were announced on Tuesday.

Public Health Wales (PHW) also added that an additional 105 cases of Covid-19 have been identified after laboratory tests to take the total since the outbreak began at 11,573.

However, since the PHW figures only cover patients in hospitals, the total number of cases and deaths is likely to be significantly higher.

On Tuesday morning, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which includes data from all settings, reported that as of the week ending May 1, there were 1,641 coronavirus deaths in Wales.

This map shows the areas of Wales with the most cases in the last week

PHW’s announcement was made after a press conference with Health Minister Vaughan Gething, who gave the latest update on the situation in Wales.

He began by admitting that there were currently “very few existing treatment options” for Covid-19, but that worldwide was working to change this.

The terms for finding a vaccine that Gething said were “more than 200 candidates,” with about 70 that might be “credible” but “less than a dozen candidates.”

He said there are currently 1,200 people in Wales participating in “urgent” studies of public health coronaviruses, including trials to determine the risk factors and specific genes that make people more susceptible to contracting it.

“These include drugs previously used to treat HIV, a type of steroid, an antimalarial drug, a commonly used antibiotic, and an anti-inflammatory injection,” he said.

He also mentioned a study at Bangor University that seeks to predict the next peak of the virus.

You can find more information about the trials Wales participates in here.

Gething said there had been a lot of discussion about whether the public should wear face masks.

He said that Dr. Frank Atherton, the medical director of Wales, had considered all the evidence submitted to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and discussed it with colleagues across the UK.

The minister said, “He [Dr Atherton] does not recommend that everyone wear face masks. He believes this should be a matter of personal choice. “

Gething added that Dr. Atherton will issue a full statement on this later Tuesday afternoon.

Regarding testing, the health minister said that daily capacity had now increased to 5,330. Two new driving test centers have also been opened, one in Swansea and the other in Abercynon, with a total of eight mobile units across Wales.

He said: “As of Sunday, we had performed more than 49,500 tests in Wales on more than 42,000 people. Of these, only 11,000 tests were positive.”

This table shows how the number of diagnosed cases has fluctuated every day.

This shows how the number of daily deaths has fluctuated

When asked if the border could be closed between England and Wales, Gething said he did not think it was a viable option.

He said the Welsh Government was “obviously concerned” about the UK Government’s change in tone, which he described as “useless”.

“I don’t think closing the border is a real option. It doesn’t really help us,” he said, adding that the government would have to put up border controls.

He also said it may not be something they have the power to do. “What really matters is monitoring and enforcing regulations,” he said.

In its latest survey of the Welsh public, PHW revealed that there is a decrease in concern over infection with the virus.

The health minister stressed that there was still a “very high level of support” and compliance with the blockade in Wales, but admitted that “some people were concerned” about it.

“We are following the rules for a purpose and that is to make sure we avoid the direct damage that Covid-19 causes,” he said.

He said the Welsh government and police forces are concerned about the differences in messages between Wales and England, and said it was clear that behavior has changed.

“This weekend we saw more people on the go and saw a significant increase in notices of fixed penalties across Wales for non-compliance with the rules.”

“We want to make sure we encourage our own citizens to follow the rules and also send a clear message to our friends across the border in England to visit Wales, but later.”

Mr. Gething concluded that there has been a “significant increase” in the number of tests being conducted in the home care sector.

He said there has probably been a “three to four times increase” in this area.

However, he said there have been reports that it did not happen or was not consistent in some areas in the past few days.

The health minister reiterated that the tests must be carried out consistently in care homes where there are confirmed cases, and called for an “immediate and consistent implementation” of this policy.