2. Statement by the First Minister: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 1 April 2020.

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Photo of Caroline Jones Caroline Jones UKIP 2:32, 1 April 2020

Thank you for your statement, First Minister, and my condolences also to all those who've lost loved ones to this terrible disease. The news also that a 13-year-old boy with no apparent underlying health issues has become the youngest victim of this disease drives home the very seriousness of this pandemic. We see, on a daily basis, how quickly the situation changes, and, indeed, since your last update to the Siambr the number of people infected globally has doubled. Here in Wales, despite stringent measures, the disease continues to spread widely. I am grateful for the work being done by your Government to keep us all safe, and for providing us and our constituents with regular updates.

So, First Minister, our NHS staff on the front line in the fight against COVID-19 quite rightly deserve our heartfelt thanks, and once we emerge from this crisis, we must explore options to reward them for their selflessness in protecting us and saving lives. However, NHS staff are not the only ones deserving our praise and support. Staff in care homes are also on the front line, and they too are experiencing shortages in PPE. It has also been broadcast this morning that the care homes are now not able to have deliveries for the people in those care homes, which, again, puts staff outside, shopping and exposing them to COVID-19. So, First Minister, what assurances can you give the social care sector that they will receive the PPE necessary to support staff? And, in terms of recognition, I welcome the fact NHS staff are to receive free travel on public transport. First Minister, does this also extend to social care staff?

In addition to health and social care staff, we have to recognise the efforts made by police officers, firefighters, prison staff, and also those volunteering their services to the entire public sector. But it's not just the public sector; across the private sector, all the stops are being pulled out to ensure we have access to life's essentials. So, unfortunately, despite their best efforts, not everyone can access these supermarket deliveries, as I've highlighted.

And I've been contacted by a number of constituents who have not been deemed extremely vulnerable by NHS Wales, and yet, due to various disabilities, are unable to physically go shopping. So, prior to this outbreak, these constituents have totally depended upon supermarket deliveries. So, now that delivery slots are being reserved by constituents, my constituents face a stark choice between starving or playing Russian roulette with an extremely infectious virus. First Minister, what discussion have you had with the UK Government? I note that you have had a discussion with the UK Government on military personnel, but I'm asking does that extend to deliveries to people such as these? The longer this outbreak continues, the greater impact it will have on our most vulnerable in society.

What assessment has been made of the efficacy of current control measures, and does the modelling the Welsh Government are relying upon make any assessment of whether shorter, more stringent controls may be better than longer term, more lax controls?

And finally, First Minister, we are entering the most critical phase of this outbreak, which is putting tremendous stresses upon all involved in protecting the public. However, we must ensure we are forward planning, not just reacting to events as they unfold. First Minister, can you outline the actions being taken by the Welsh Government to undertake contact tracing once we have sufficient testing capacity within the system? NHS England are believed to be working on an app to aid with contact tracing. The app would track locations and contacts and enable immediate alerting, should someone you have been in contact with develop COVID-19. First Minister, what role is the Welsh Government playing in the planning of this phase, and what actions are you taking to ensure such moves do not infringe upon our civil liberties?

Thank you once again, First Minister, and if we all heed the medical advice, we should defeat this disease sooner much rather than later. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.