Steep rise in coronavirus-related patients in Welsh hospitals

Mr Gething told the daily Welsh Government coronavirus media briefing today that there was currently 894 coronavirus-related cases in Welsh hospitals, according to NHS Wales figures, up 26 per cent since last week.

On Friday, a two-week circuit breaker lockdown will come into force in order to try to bring the spread of the virus under control, and give hospitals some much-needed breathing-room.

READ MORE:

• Health minister frustrated by 'direct lies' spread about Gwent hospital.
• New figures highlight coronavirus hotspots in Gwent and Wales.
• This is why all staff members at a Bedwas food factory are being tested for coronavirus.

"This is the highest it has been since June," said Mr Gething, referring to the hospital cases figure.

"There are 43 people in critical care with coronavirus, 72 per cent higher than last week, and amounting to one-in-four of our critical care beds across our system.

Mr Gething added that the increasing number of admissions was at least partially due to the coronavirus spreading from younger to older age groups.

The health minister commented on yesterday's Public Health Wales figures, after Wales recorded its highest daily number of new cases - 1,148 - since the start of the pandemic.

"However this only tells part of the story. The real number of infections in the community will be much higher," he said.

"Our scientific experts have calculated that the number of infections is growing by four per cent each day, with a total number at 2,500 per day."

Commenting on the upcoming circuit breaker lockdown, Mr Gething said: "None of us want to see this disruption to our lives again.

"Unfortunately we face such a serious situation that this short, sharp shock is the best option we have to bring the virus under control"

"If we don't act now, the virus will continue to spread rapidly beyond the measures we have to restrain it. There is a very real risk, that without action, the NHS will be overwhelmed, and more people will die.

"If we wait we will have to take more extreme measures to bring the virus under control. That could mean a longer, or an open-ended lockdown like we went through in March."