3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:10 pm on 17 March 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 5:10, 17 March 2020

Look, I am reluctant to provide answers that may not be accurate and reliable. My understanding is that the advice for pupils who have underlying health conditions is quite clear: they should stay at home. Services for women in pregnancy: as I understand it, the advice to them is that they should self-isolate, but when they have appointments with the health service, they should keep them. They shouldn't not carry on with the care that they would normally expect to have during pregnancy. They should attend those appointments, they should make sure that they are as well prepared for those events as they can be, but outside that they should have as much social distancing as they can manage. 

On pharmacies, I don't, I'm afraid, have answers on either of those points, but I will try and get an answer, particularly on the overseas issue. The testing issue I think will be set out in the circular that I referred to this afternoon. The information I have is that, while there are some inevitable local glitches in the distribution of personal protective equipment, the system is working, it is happening, and where there are some difficulties, they are genuinely local in character.