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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:58 pm on 17 March 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 4:58, 17 March 2020

I thank the Member for those, Llywydd. I think I've said a couple of times this afternoon that we will be looking to expand, where we can, testing of key workers to include other groups. I entirely share Alun Davies's regret at the inevitable confusion that happens in the minds of the public where they hear different groups and different sources of expertise say different things. The World Health Organization provides advice for well over 100 countries, and the application of that advice will never be identical in any one place, because that advice has to be calibrated according to the circumstances of any one of those member countries. 

I can absolutely say that the meetings that take place between the four chief medical officers and the scientific advisers are informed by the World Health Organization, that they hear directly from them, that their advice is never given in ignorance of those sources of advice. I want the Welsh Government to be clear and unambiguous in this way, because I think that this is the best thing that I can do—to try to resist the confusion that I agree is regrettable—and that is this: the Welsh Government operates on the advice that we get from the people who are employed to give it to us, who understand Wales best, who understand the science best, and are therefore best placed to advise Government. Whatever other sources of advice there are, it's for them to filter that, it's for them to distil that, it's for them to say to Government the right course of action, and then Government must act on that advice.