4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Coronavirus (COVID-2019) update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:41 pm on 3 March 2020.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 3:41, 3 March 2020

Could I welcome the statement today and the short written statement that preceded it, but also welcome the coronavirus action plan, signed up to by the UK administration, but also, of course, all the devolved administrations as well? And, in concert with the tone that is set here by the Minister today, which is measured but also very purposeful, I think what these documents show us is that we're not starting totally from scratch. There is a lot of experience and planning and expertise that has gone into emergency planning before and into preparations for viruses spreading as well. So, we don't start from scratch. 

But my questions are primarily to do with communication, Minister. You've touched on them a bit, so I'll try not to rehearse ground that's gone on already. First of all, I think the biggest message we can take from here today, in terms of the public health message, is to stress the importance of the 111 service and the need for people to use that.

But, in respect of the portal information, the online information, which not everybody will be as familiar as we are with using it, he has referred to the Public Health Wales site, which I've looked at. It's very good; it's fairly easy to use; it does link to others. There's also the Welsh Government, there's also, for travellers, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office site as well. Could he just undertake to make sure that there is a degree of linkage between these different websites, so that people, who are either concerned about themselves or about their family or about business colleagues can easily actually track to the right source of information, up-to-date information as well? It's great to hear that the Public Health Wales site will be updated every day at 3 o'clock. But each one of these sites needs to link very easily for people who aren't as familiar with searching through the internet as well. 

Secondly, in terms of communication, could I ask what engagement is being done, not only by Welsh Government, but also by the network of businesses that we engage with, in terms of big and small businesses? He's mentioned the fact that if this does actually progress, and I notice in the document it refers to some of the assessment that's been done on a realistic worst case scenario, but if this does progress then there will be some larger businesses, who indeed have very well developed business continuity plans, but some of the smaller businesses, some of the supply chain businesses, the same businesses that actually keep our supermarket shelves stocked and our larders stocked and keep the freight running up and down the roads—. What communication is there in place to make sure that they are aware of what they need to do as well, and how they keep in business, both from a cash flow perspective and a supply chain perspective, but also in terms of information that they share with their employees and workforce? 

And that's my final point on communications. What engagement are we doing across Government and using the networks that we have well established with front-line workers in, for example, health and social care, in emergency services, in local government, but also other essential workers who keep the country going? What engagement are we doing with the unions as well, directly, so that they have clear messages that they can convey to their members as well? So, that everything will be done, not only in terms of informing them up to date with information, but also to ensure them that they and their families are also protected as well. And my final point on communication, then, Minister, would be this: all of us as Members of this Senedd have a fair degree of reach ourselves in terms of what we can communicate, and I would say—don't underestimate that. If the information can be packaged well, then we also can help in a timely manner by signposting people to the right places, whether they are business or workforce, or whether they are people concerned about their own health and the health of their families. We can play a role as well on our social media presence and our websites in making good signposting for them as well.