General Covid 19 news

[SteveH]

RECAP: First Minister gives coronavirus update as lockdown extended

cover of today's conference

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18996723.recap-first-minister-gives-coronavirus-update-lockdown-extended/

[Hugo]

Thirteen die after 'mutant strain' of Covid-19 sweeps through North Wales care home
Hillbury Care Home staff in Wrexham have been left 'utterly devastated' by the tragic loss of life


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/thirteen-die-after-mutant-strain-19588538

[Hugo]

I haven't seen it for myself but was told that there is an online conspiracy theory that Covid 19 is just a hoax.    It's incomprehensible that anyone but a moron would think such a thing.
A friend of mine from England was speaking to her friend who was a nurse in a busy hospital there and this hoax theory was discussed.
The nurse said that the morons should be here when she has prepared ten body bags in one day and see the reality of Covid for themselves

PS  I came across this link after posting the above, perhaps the morons may wish to read it

 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/woman-films-message-covid-deniers-19591075

[SteveH]

I haven't seen it for myself but was told that there is an online conspiracy theory that Covid 19 is just a hoax.    It's incomprehensible that anyone but a moron would think such a thing.
A friend of mine from England was speaking to her friend who was a nurse in a busy hospital there and this hoax theory was discussed.
The nurse said that the morons should be here when she has prepared ten body bags in one day and see the reality of Covid for themselves
PS  I came across this link after posting the above, perhaps the morons may wish to read it

 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/woman-films-message-covid-deniers-19591075

They are some of the lucky ones, who look as if it will end well, I cannot understand the thinking of those who do not see the effects of what is going on around them, I listened to some nurses on BBC Wales news last night, they were exhausted and at the end of their tether, one talked of just going home, she had, had enough, but of course she carried on, very emotional.

[Hugo]

When I saw the problems with getting the vaccinations done at Venue Cymru earlier this week  I assumed that it was just teething troubles and once sorted out would function as intended.
It was just a surprise when I read Saturday's edition of the Daily Mirror and it had an article about Stanley Johnson  Boris' dad and it reported that Stanley was due to have his second coronavirus jab yesterday.     Whatever next,  will Jo Johnson be getting the vaccine soon just after Boris awarded him his peerage?
Cronyism is alive and well despite the Cronavirus

[Hammy]

This may not be cronyism, because we have just spoken to a friend in Stoke on Trent who received her second dose of the vaccine yesterday!

[Hugo]

That may be correct Hammy because Dr Miriam Stoppard has already had the two doses but your faith in the Johnson family may be over optimistic.    But in the meantime us mere mortals have a 12 week wait for the second jab, that's assuming we get the first one done 

[Hugo]

This is another reason why people are told not to visit their second homes during lockdown.        The expression "You can't have your cake and eat it"   comes to mind



https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/pensioner-struggling-covid-19-vaccine-19592505

[Hugo]

More than 98,000 deaths involving Covid now recorded in UK

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/more-98000-deaths-involving-covid-19608135

[SteveH]

Number of North Wales coronavirus patients in intensive care quadruples in less than two months
Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, issued a stark warning about the situation

 "My greatest concern at the moment is the impact on critical care.

"Units are under enormous pressure as we continue to see people who are very sick with coronavirus admitted to critical care across Wales.

"There are now 150 people in critical care units with coronavirus. This is the highest level that we have seen during the second wave. This is almost our entire non-pandemic critical care capacity in use."

The average age in critical care in Wales is 59, with almost twice as many men admitted as women.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/number-north-wales-coronavirus-patients-19617640

[SteveH]

'We have now exceeded double the peak we experienced during the first wave in April', says chief executive of the Welsh NHS

Dr Andrew Goodall said there were now around 2,870 Covid-related patients being treated, meaning “difficult choices” would have to be made about the range of services delivered by the health service.

On Wednesday, January 13, he told the Welsh Government’s press briefing that the impact of the country’s lockdown measures would take “weeks” to be felt by the NHS, and that it would be “a while yet” before the number of admissions to hospital and those needing critical care started to fall.

cont   https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19010508.we-now-exceeded-double-peak-experienced-first-wave-april-says-chief-executive-welsh-nhs/


This is important, as another variant of the virus has shown up in Brazil...........as long as it is enforced ?

Covid-19: New test rule for England arrivals pushed back to Monday.

Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to England from 04:00 GMT on Monday.

The rules had been due to come into force on Friday, but the government said people needed time "to prepare".
Those arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55656589

[SteveH]

This is important, as another variant of the virus has shown up in Brazil...........as long as it is enforced ?

Covid-19: New test rule for England arrivals pushed back to Monday.
Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to England from 04:00 GMT on Monday.

The rules had been due to come into force on Friday, but the government said people needed time "to prepare".
Those arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in.
cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55656589

People arriving into Wales from abroad will now have to provide a negative coronavirus test result in the days before they travel.

The Welsh Government has announced passengers arriving into Wales by boat, plane or train from countries outside the Common Travel Area will have to take a test up to 72 hours before departing the country they are in.

It has been introduced in a bid to protect against the new strains of coronavirus such as those seen in Brazil, Denmark and South Africa.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/new-rule-international-arrivals-wales-19629918

[SteveH]

A North Wales intensive care doctor has warned that people in their 30s and 40s are being admitted to critical care with coronavirus.

Dr David Southern, a critical care consultant at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, also said that the sheer volume of cases they are seeing meant there were delays in admitting patients into intensive care.

He said the hospital was currently dealing with double the normal number of patients in critical care as Wrexham continues to see the worst infection rates in Wales.

Dr Southern said the new, more infectious strain of coronavirus, has led to a huge surge of Covid-19 positive patients in the region over recent days.

The experienced medic confirmed people in their 30s and 40s, some with no previous underlying health conditions, are now becoming dangerously unwell with the virus and need to take up invasive ventilated beds.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/people-30s-40s-being-admitted-19639181

[SteveH]

Rise in Anglesey kids testing positive for Covid prompts council to issue 'mixing' plea to parents
The island's local authority fear the 'new strain' is behind the rise in coronavirus cases amongst youngsters

"In many cases, children in the household have developed symptoms after an adult living there tested positive.

"It's vital children avoid mixing with other children outside their household or support bubble.
"This applies to under 11s as well as over 11s, and where children are in the same 'school or class bubble'."

They said the "new strain" of the virus had seen a rise in positive cases, and reiterated that even if children were in the same "school bubble", they could not mix.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rise-anglesey-kids-testing-positive-19643554

[SteveH]

Covid tracked - and how it embedded in rural Wales

Analysis of Covid-19 deaths in the first wave of the pandemic in Wales has showed how the virus took a grip at very local levels of the country.

Experts found not all deaths could be explained by factors such as economic deprivation, age and ethnicity.

Clusters in some parts of rural Wales persisted, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) research,
It suggests more work is needed to look at factors like travel and high risk occupations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55661507