3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Coronavirus

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:14 pm on 8 June 2021.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 3:14, 8 June 2021

(Translated)

Thank you for the statement, Minister. Clearly, the growth in the delta variant is a cause of concern, so I have three or four questions specifically in response to that. There is evidence that one dose of the vaccine is less effective in guarding against that variant. So, despite how excellent the process is going, with less than 50 per cent of the population over 16 having received two doses, can we have not only confirmation that the process of vaccination will be hastened in those areas where the delta variant is most prominent, but can we also have clear indicators in place so that we know how much more vaccination we expect to happen, and within what kind of time frame?

To push further on some of the points already raised in terms of the mobility of the population within these islands, in his press conference last Friday, the First Minister said that there wasn't evidence that the delta variant was coming in to Wales from other parts of the UK. We now know that it is. Can the Minister confirm that first, and, crucially, can she tell us what will be done and when? What will the triggers be in order to prevent the spread from one area to another? And this isn't an England-Wales issue, of course; it could be preventing spread from one part of Wales to another part of Wales or between the various nations of the UK.

We know that there are new restrictions, from today onwards, on travel from Portugal because of concerns about the variant, but it's not just international travel that's the problem here. The UK Government has today encouraged people not to travel in and out of areas such as Greater Manchester and Lancashire. So, doesn't the Conwy experience demonstrate that we need to put actions in place? You said the porous border makes it very difficult to close the border, but there are many things that you could be doing that fall a long way short of closing the border. You could ask for test results before someone can go to holiday accommodation, for example. If we are to safeguard public health and limit the impact on the economy and tourism, then we need to know that the Government is willing to act swiftly and in a way that it is as focused as possible, so that we can hopefully get back to normal as soon as possible.