8. Will the First Minister provide an update on progress in containing COVID-19 cases in Caerphilly? OQ56069

Llywydd, can I thank Hefin David? Progress on containing cases in Caerphilly has been reinforced by Welsh Government action in relation to indoor attractions, hospitality, education, the health service and, as of yesterday, closure of outdoor attractions as well. I thank, as ever, Llywydd, the residents of Caerphilly for everything they do to help contain this deadly virus.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board put out an unprecedented call to citizens of Caerphilly and beyond in their area to not attend health services where they don't need to, and to recognise that they need to make the right choices. And I have to say to the people of Caerphilly who have been in touch with me, on the whole—almost the entire number of people who have been in touch with me via my Facebook page, Facebook live sessions—have been supportive and have recognised what they need to do. However, and I'm almost reluctant to do this, there have been a small number of people who have said some extraordinary things. I'll give you an example: one person said to me last week, 'This is no different, this winter, to any other.' Someone else said: 'Most of those dying from COVID are elderly or vulnerable, and would probably have died of cold, flu or pneumonia instead.' These are some of the statements that were made last week by a very small minority of people, but, nonetheless, those people have a huge impact. Will the First Minister explain, again, how this is an unprecedented crisis, how it's having a huge effect on our NHS, and that the rules that are in place are the very maximum people should do, and should not be an invitation to do anything further? We need to take this seriously. 

Well, Llywydd, I couldn't agree more with that. We have lived through unprecedented times this year, and the impact on all our lives and all our public services is absolutely profound. Those people who have somehow become convinced or convinced themselves that this is all a got-up job, and there's nothing that they need to worry about, I'm afraid coronavirus is no respecter of them either. All of us will have seen accounts from people who thought that, somehow, coronavirus was a mild illness that had no impact, only to find that when they themselves contracted it, or someone who is dear to them contracted it, it turned out to be very different indeed. That is why we make the appeal that we do to people in Wales not to lean on the rules, not to try and find ways of stretching the rules, but to think in each one of our daily lives what we should do, rather than what we can do. And if we do what we should do, then we will avoid contact with other people when we don't need it, we'll travel only when we must, we will work from home wherever possible, and we will certainly observe the advice that comes from the health service as to how only those who need to be in a hospital should be in a hospital. And that advice that people in Caerphilly and the Gwent area have had from the Aneurin Bevan health board, I'm sure, as Hefin David said, will be very carefully observed by the vast majority of people. The sad thing about coronavirus, Llywydd, is that it only takes a small minority to believe that they are somehow beyond the rules to have a far disproportionate impact on the spread of the virus to everybody else. 

Thank you, First Minister.