2. In light of the recent escalation of the coronavirus across Europe, will the Minister provide an update on the latest public health advice for people in Wales? 398

The latest public health advice for returning travellers has been updated and is available on the Welsh Government website. Public Health Wales also publish a daily update on their website at 3 p.m. Anyone potentially affected by a change in advice should not attend their GP practice or present at hospital emergency departments, but should call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or 111 Wales. That advice, of course, applies to people returning from specific countries around Europe and the wider world.

Thank you, Minister, for that update. I understand you've been in discussions with other colleagues around the rest of the UK this afternoon. From those discussions, it has been reported in the press today that, certainly in some parts of the UK, there will now be random screening for coronavirus at GP surgeries and hospitals. The list that I've seen doesn't seem to include any Welsh hospitals or GP centres. Are you in a position to confirm whether Wales is actively considering random screening for coronavirus, such as has been reported in the media today? 

Can you update us on what Welsh travellers might be experiencing across the continent, given that there's a lockdown in certain areas and an isolation period? Can you confirm that, if the seriousness of the coronavirus does break out here in Wales that we would see similar actions to what we've seen in Italy or other parts of the world when dealing with the outbreak, should it occur, and the impact that is likely to have on services more generally, such as the health service in its day-to-day existence?

Well, look, I think there are three particular questions there, and perhaps to deal with the issue about British nationals, some of whom may be Welsh residents, and, indeed, Welsh residents who are not British nationals who may be caught up in some of the potential lockdown quarantine isolation that has taken place in a number of parts of Europe where they're seeking to contain the spread of coronavirus, there is a regular and constructive conversation between the four UK Governments, in particular with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, about how many British nationals are affected, where they are and the support they're being provided with. This is, of course, a developing situation and we're not in charge of where other authorities are making choices about either individual or community isolation. 

On your point about random screening, I would caution the Member to return to the advice that is being provided, not just by me in the weekly statement I provide, but the Chief Medical Officer for Wales in his weekly statement and the daily advice on the Public Health Wales website. We are not implementing random screening at any point within our system. We are looking at a targeted approach to people who are at risk and, as I say, in the advice that has been given, where people are returning from specific parts of travel, within a specific timescale, if they have symptoms—cough, cold, sore throat, cold or flu-like symptoms—then to self-isolate and to contact the national health service and they'll provide them with advice and guidance. That is the right thing to do. If the advice changes because there's a change in transmission, then we will make that absolutely clear. 

I think what is helpful about this, and this goes to your broader point about the potential for more widespread transmission—and I don't want to get into a series of what could be unhelpful hypotheticals, but, to be very clear, the four UK Governments are working together. It's really important it's underpinned by a collective endeavour between the four chief medical officers across the United Kingdom giving advice to the Governments of the United Kingdom about what we could and should do to properly safeguard and protect the health of the public. Obviously, if there are changes, they won't just appear in a weekly update, but if there are more urgent changes that are required then I'll be happy to report not just to this place but to the wider public as well. 

Just a few questions—I'm grateful for the latest guidance that was issued by Welsh Government today, and I'm just asking you to clarify even clearer for individuals who are contacting us as their elected Members on a few issues. On self-isolation, people are being asked to self-isolate on return from named countries or regions. Will you confirm that self-isolation means (a) isolating yourself whether or not you are showing symptoms—flu-like symptoms—and (b) that isolation means total isolation, if you like, within your own home, not just staying away from your workplace or place of education and otherwise somehow carrying on with your day-to-day business? 

Secondly, will Welsh Government offer guidance or at least make an appeal to employers to be sympathetic and supportive of their employees to, for example, facilitate home working—on full pay, obviously, where that is possible, as this institution, for example, would be able to? For somebody working in a factory or a shop, that might be difficult and people might find themselves in financial difficulties very early on if they were forced, in some way, to go without pay. So, we will need that guidance to employers on how they can be supportive of their employees.

Yes. Look, I recognise completely the second point about wanting to provide guidance and set out some expectations about how businesses behave. But, of course, we don't have specific powers to compel businesses to do so, and this is an active conversation between the four UK Governments as well about wanting to have as consistent an approach as possible on the advice and guidance that we do give. 

On the point about self-isolation, I think the most helpful thing is to repeat the advice that's been given—that self-isolation means to stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, as you would do if you had the flu, and some simple messages of 'catch it, kill it, bin it' to make it clear that you're not simply leaving around the opportunity for transmission, in exactly the way that we do with the seasonal flu campaign every year, to behave in that way as if you had the flu— and that point, I think, is well made—and to make remote contact and not attend a national health service facility if you are symptomatic and you have returned from one of the particular travel areas. And, within that, the advice differs, and so I think it's really important for people who are concerned to look at the advice that is available. If you've returned from a particular part of the world—. There are some countries where, if you've returned within the last 14 days—since 19 February, in specific areas—even if people are not symptomatic, they're asked to self-isolate. But that is very specific: that relates to Iran and the specific locked-down towns in northern Italy and special care zones of South Korea—in those circumstances, to self-isolate. But, in others, to make sure that, if you have returned to us, if you become symptomatic, to self-isolate, but there is no need to self-isolate if you have been travelling through Vietnam, for example, but are not symptomatic.

So, it's important to look at the advice and to follow it, and that is the best way for people to behave to make sure that we do all that we could and should do to properly protect the health of the public in a phase where we're still looking at the potential containment of coronavirus. If that were to move on, which was the final point that Andrew R.T. Davies made, then we'll provide further advice and guidance to people in Wales, but, of course, we'll be looking to make sure that there is a consistent message across the United Kingdom. 

Thank you, Minister.