4. What is the First Minister’s current assessment of COVID-19 in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area? OQ56155

Llywydd, we continue to see a trend of reducing incidence rates and test positivity rates across all local authority areas within the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area. However, numbers do remain high and our NHS capacity is still very stretched. All efforts must continue to continue to drive those rates down further.

First Minister, the vaccination programme is crucial in saving lives, in reducing pressure on our national health service, with all the benefits that brings for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 health services, and in allowing restrictions to be eased for a return of economic activity, our schools and more normal living. Understandably, expectations of the roll-out are very high, and my constituents want to see every effort made to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. I know, First Minister, from what you've said today and previously, that you are very committed to this, so is the Welsh Government collectively, and of course, so is our NHS. First Minister, will you reassure my constituents who have contacted me here in Newport East that vaccination will proceed with the utmost urgency, with the top 4 priority groups offered a vaccine by mid February, and the other groups following as quickly as possible, to get us out of this terrible crisis in the shortest possible time?

Llywydd, I can do no better than to echo exactly what John Griffiths said in his supplementary question. The policy of the Welsh Government is to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. And the efforts we've already discussed here this afternoon amongst healthcare staff in Gwent just demonstrate the commitment that they have to exactly that policy. Now, I've set out already, Llywydd, the very rapid increase in the number of GP practices in the Member's constituency who will be delivering the vaccine this week. But that is on top of the four mass vaccination centres that are currently operating in the Gwent area, and, as I know John Griffiths will be aware, a large mass vaccination centre opened in Newport yesterday, ahead of schedule, and that is typical of what is happening across Wales.

As I said in an earlier answer, Llywydd, when I was here last week, I was setting out our ambitions for mass vaccination centres, GP practices, and we're exceeding those ambitions, as we are in Newport, because of all the efforts that are being made. And, because of that, the local population in the Member's constituency can have confidence that the plans we set out will be delivered, that they will be delivered with urgency and with determination, and that when we complete the first four priority groups, those efforts will continue and expand further as we drive our way down the nine top priority groups and then move on to the rest of the population.