Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. A week ago I made a statement to the Senedd to inform Members about the developing situation in Rhondda Cynon Taf and the need to introduce local restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus and protect people's health. Today I want to update you about the latest action that the Welsh Government is taking, working in partnership with local authorities...
Vaughan Gething: Safe mask wearing is an important factor. That includes the taking on and taking off of masks as well, and there is a real challenge, not just in what sort of covering to wear, but to remind ourselves that when you take off the face covering, if you have COVID, you're likely to shed it around you. When you put it on, there's also a potential for that to take place as well. This is difficult,...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to thank all Members who've taken part in the debate. Given the significant number of questions and the time I have to respond, I won't be able to deal with each and every single point. I'll start, though, with just addressing Andrew R.T. Davies's final point, and that is about travel in and out of areas. So, for the University of South Wales,...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. I go back to there's some consistency in what Members have said and also contrary points. So, thinking about what Leanne Wood said about, 'Why aren't we closing all the pubs now?', there's a counterpoint that pubs that are being responsible, who don't want to see any restrictions, and where we are is a measure of restriction for all licensed premises...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. On the final point first, the University of South Wales's potential development is still in trials. We understand that it looks positive. It's one of a number of potential point-of-care tests where you can test people rapidly. We already have one such device that ourselves and Scotland in particular have been interested in, and that should again provide a test in...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. Perhaps I'll deal with that final point first. You'll recall that we had real difficulty and challenges at the start of the pandemic in significantly increasing our own testing resources. We had equipment on order that was held up and not able to be delivered into Wales. That was because of restrictions provided in other countries. And we then also had some challenges when...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions from the Member. In terms of your first point, about holidays, I recognise that Hefin David has been making the case in particular yesterday, but in correspondence and conversation with me as well, about his residents in the Caerphilly constituency, and I'm happy to take up the Member's suggestion to write again to parts of the holiday industry. We've...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. I've set out in some detail over the weekend and yesterday the very real challenges and frustrations that came from a decision at official level within the UK Government to restrict lighthouse lab testing to centres to 60 per day in Wales, in Northern Ireland, and similar restrictions in Scotland too. That's why I had rapid conversations with other...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. On the starting point about the terminology used, we're using the terminology that's set out in our coronavirus control plan. I accept completely that it's being reported as a local lockdown, just as Caerphilly was, and I actually don't think it makes a lot of sense for the Government to try to fight a battle to persuade the public or the media not to describe...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd, and thank you for the opportunity to update Members today about the very latest situation affecting parts of south Wales. Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in the number of new cases of coronavirus in Wales overall and in four local authority areas in particular: in Caerphilly, in Merthyr Tydfil, in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Newport. This increase is largely being...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you to the Member for the questions. I'm happy to confirm that the NHS COVID app is now done on a local, not a central, basis. That was one of the concerns about privacy, so it should be largely resolved. So, this is the second round of running an app. While Scotland and Northern Ireland have a proximity app that tells you how close you've been to other people, the app that England and...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. On testing, I recognise the point that the Member has made. To be fair, as well as in the Chamber, a number of Members have approached me directly, in their capacity of representing their constituencies and regions, about the issue. On Welsh ambulance response times, we're seeing both the return of more normal activity, as well as the backlog of activity that built up in...
Vaughan Gething: It's a completely fair point the Member makes, and others have alluded to as well in earlier questions, about elective care and doing as much as we possibly can do, and how we transparently set that out. You will see plans, when we publish the operational framework and quarter 3 and quarter 4 plans that I expect to come back in for us to be able to publish through October, for how we want to...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I think it's a really important question, because delayed transfers of care cause real harm within our system. People that don't need to be in hospital almost always end up suffering harm. If you're immobile and in a bed, rather than being up and around, that's a challenge and a problem for that person. Many of the people we're talking about are vulnerable and, in particular, older...
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member, and, of course, we do set out some of the challenges he sets out at the start, in terms of taking local action in preference to national action, in our coronavirus control plan and, as the First Minister has reminded Members today, our test, trace, protect service works, effectively, as a smart lockdown. If people are honest and upfront about their contacts, we'll get to...
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member for the series of questions. I think I largely addressed challenges about elective care and waiting lists in response to Andrew R.T. Davies's first set of questions, in acknowledging both that we have a significant challenge to address over a significant period of time, but the fact that the NHS has been progressively opening itself for more work; there is elective care...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for that series of questions I'll run through. I think it's important to recognise what I am saying about the comparison with February. Of course, we're in a better position in terms of our preparation and understanding, with the practical experience and learning from the last six months or so. That's not the point that I'm making; I think the Member knows that isn't the point that...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for that series of questions, which I'll try to address as quickly as time allows. You're correct; my understanding is that officials were informed on 2 September, and I was informed with a serious incident alert on 3 September. That's entirely normal. Public Health Wales had already informed the Information Commissioner, as they should do, of the breach. They had identified what...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Members will be aware that I announced our intention to develop a winter protection plan for Wales over the summer. I'm pleased to confirm we have now published that plan, following our work with stakeholders. The events from the last week have reinforced why this is needed. Despite all of the good progress made over the summer, the position remains...
