Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:24 pm on 24 March 2021.
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?