7. Will the Minister make a statement on COVID-19 infection rates in South Wales East? OQ56500

Yes. There has been a gradual decrease across South Wales East in both infection and test-positivity rates. Continued support for the restrictions in place is essential if we are to maintain this broad downward trend.

Thank you, Minister. Merthyr has had a startlingly high incidence rate over the past few weeks, though I am glad to see the numbers levelling out. I know the health board has identified that some likely reasons for why we saw that spike would have been some extended households mixing and people not following social distancing rules. One of the strengths of our Valleys communities is our closeness, but during the pandemic we've actually suffered because of those close ties.

Minster, there will be a minority of people who have been taken in by misinformation on the virus, and I'd ask you, firstly, how you are trying to counter that misinformation spreading on Facebook, working with the health board. There will also be many families who just find it very difficult to survive on the self-isolation payment, as it currently is, who rely on grandparents for childcare, people who are afraid that they'll lose their jobs if they don't turn up for work. So, could I ask you, finally, what extra support you are considering giving to communities like Merthyr where a minority of people seem to be really struggling?

You'll be pleased to know that I've discussed all these issues with the constituency Member Dawn Bowden and the concerns about how the community is supported to make the right choice, but then actually how you try to persuade people to be honest if they have acquired COVID and they recognise themselves they've been acting outside the rules. That's part of the key role that our test, trace, protect service has in both signposting people to go and get those isolation payments—lots of people aren't applying for them when they could do—to make sure they get all the support that is there, both financially, but also the wider support to make sure that people can successfully self-isolate, and to recognise that if a whole community supports the restrictions and acts in a way that's within them, we're much more likely to continue to suppress coronavirus rates and to find a sustainable way out of the current position. It's good news that rates have fallen in Merthyr in today's figures—a pretty significant fall; we need to see that continuing for the future. And, actually, we are working alongside the council and their officers, as well as local elected representatives, as well as the health board. So, the expansion and availability of community testing is part of that. It's about encouraging people to come forward and for them to have the confidence that, if they do test positive, they will be supported to undertake their isolation with financial and other means. There'll be more of this that we need to do, because, as we progress out of lockdown with more easings, we can expect there to be localised bubblings up of transmission. This is a good test for us about how successful we could be in supporting people to help all of us to finally see an end to the pandemic.

And finally, question 8, Paul Davies.