5. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:16 pm on 30 November 2021.

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Photo of Gareth Davies Gareth Davies Conservative 4:16, 30 November 2021

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd, and thank you for your statement this afternoon, Minister. I just want to second Russell George's comments in that I do appreciate that you've got a lot on your plate and you're dealing with a very complex and ever-changing situation, so I do acknowledge that.

So, Minister, do you agree with me that, although we need to be cautious, we don't need to panic? We simply don't know enough about this new variant, but early indications show that fully vaccinated individuals are more likely to experience mild symptoms. Therefore, the best defence we have is to ramp up boosters, and it was only lunchtime today that Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that we should be throwing everything at these booster jabs and it's promising to see that you're sharing the same enthusiasm on a cross-border basis. So, Minister, what steps are you taking to ensure that all care staff are fully vaccinated? Because the latest figures from Public Health Wales show that less than 63 per cent of care staff are fully vaccinated, compared to nearly 80 per cent of health workers. Minister, with visitors to care homes having to show a negative test before they can visit, do you agree that the staff are the most likely infection carriers for the care home residents? Therefore, will you commit to ensuring that booster jabs will be offered and supplied to all care home staff before Christmas? Thank you.