Here's the latest Argus column by Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle:

THE first minister has warned people in Wales face having their movements restricted ‘beyond’ the current three-week lockdown.

He made the announcement at the Welsh Government’s first live televised coronavirus briefing.

The briefings, which are now being shown daily on BBC One Wales between 12.30 to 1pm, are a very useful way to keep up to date.

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The single most important action we can take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

If I am honest, part of the challenge at the beginning was to get people to take the need for social distancing and self-isolation seriously. That has, however, been brought home to us in Gwent in no uncertain terms as we have found ourselves at the epicentre of the crisis.

Last week the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board warned it was seeing "the same pattern as was seen in Italy" and said "huge effort" was required to stop the NHS becoming overwhelmed.

I am really pleased the new hospital in Cwmbran will open a year early to provide an extra 350 vital beds.

Gwent, like many parts of Wales, faces more of a challenge than other areas of the UK because the population is typically older, sicker and has higher levels of deprivation. Hence why in the last week of ‘business as normal’ at the Senedd, I asked Welsh Government to provide updates on critical care beds, access to ventilator support and personal protective equipment.

Since then my office has been inundated with requests to help support vulnerable individuals in these difficult times. I have been the Labour AM for Torfaen for the 20 years since devolution began in 1999, and I have never known anything like it.

That is why I am calling on the Welsh Government to provide crucial mental health support to help people who are feeling anxious at this time.

I want everyone that needs it, not just those with diagnosed mental illnesses, to have access to mental health support to help them through this crisis. I think we will need it more than we have ever done in our lifetimes.

That is why I am working with the Samaritans to see if we can organise a virtual meeting of experts to look at what we can do to support people from all the stresses, job losses and sheer isolation that so many are facing.

I would like to say a big thank you to the staff of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Torfaen Borough Council, including our wonderful school staff who are supporting our children and young people through this.

Big thanks, too, to all our care workers, shop workers, volunteers and everyone else who is working hard to keep our community safe. Please support them by staying home to help stop the spread of this virus.

  • My office is working remotely. If you need to contact me, please email me at lynne.neagle@assembly.wales or ring the constituency office on 01495 740022. We are checking the answer phone regularly.