A statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services is next—an update on COVID-19. I call on the Minister to make that statement. Eluned Morgan.

Thank you, Llywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to bring this debate to the Senedd.

Thanks for the opportunity to provide an update on the current public health situation and the outcome of the latest review of the coronavirus regulations. Community transmission of the BA.2 omicron wave of COVID-19 continues at a very high level across Wales. According to the ONS survey, one in 25 people in Wales have COVID. There are still around 1,064 COVID-related patients in hospital—that's 11 per cent down from last week—although only 78 of these are being actively treated for COVID, with 15 people in critical care with COVID. 

The health and social care system continues to struggle with COVID-19 demands. High levels of staff absence and other pressures continue. We must maintain our efforts to reduce transmission within hospital settings. Limiting visitor numbers to hospitals, maintaining social distancing and rigorous application of infection control procedures all remain important. With this in mind, and on the advice of the chief medical officer and technical advisory cell, Cabinet have made the decision to retain the last remaining legal restriction, that being the requirement for face coverings in indoor public areas of health and social care settings, for a further three weeks. I understand how challenging the past two years have been, in particular for those working in health and social care and for the people that they care for. There's been much hard work and sacrifice, and I applaud the ongoing efforts, as we continue to take steps to keep safe the most vulnerable and the staff working in these high-risk settings.  

As I have said before, vaccination remains the most important measure of defence against COVID, and has successfully weakened the link between the virus and serious illness and hospitalisation. It's never too late to be vaccinated, and we encourage everyone eligible to come forward. There are other steps we can take to protect ourselves and others. We will continue to recommend that face coverings are worn in all crowded or enclosed indoor places, as part of a suite of strengthened guidance and public health advice. These and other measures can work together to help reduce the transmission of coronavirus and to keep us all safe.

We recognise how difficult a time this has been for learners, in particular as we approach examination season. I am pleased to announce that, together with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, we have agreed an exception to our self-isolation guidance for those people sitting GCSE, AS, A-level and vocational examinations. The aim is to better enable learners to take their exams safely, and to ensure that they're not disadvantaged compared to their peers in England and Scotland, where the guidance is that children and young people should isolate for three days. If they have a negative result, then they can take those exams—if they have two subsequent negative tests. 

In another positive step, 'Public Health Advice for Schools: Coronavirus' was published last week, and this new advice brings schools and education settings in line with other sectors in Wales in terms of public health advice and COVID-19. Additionally, we announced, yesterday, that we have now formally removed the infection control framework for higher and further education institutions, meaning these sectors will also move to using the wider public health guidance followed by businesses, employers and event organisers.

However, it is important that we recognise that COVID-19 has not gone away, and will remain with us globally. As the current wave of infection hopefully subsides, we must prepare for future waves. We can't assume that future variants will be the same as omicron. We could see a more harmful variant in the future. We must also be mindful that the return to more normal population mixing will result in the spread of other seasonal respiratory infections, including flu. 

For the first time, the COVID-19 pandemic raised the aim of near complete information on community cases, hospitalisations and deaths and that these could be reported in real time, as far as possible. It was necessary, as this data was used to inform the restrictions needed to reduce transmission in the community and the predicted impact on the population and our healthcare system.

Under the current COVID stable state, we have stopped identifying all cases through mass community testing and contact tracing. Future surveillance will not be able to rely on such high levels of data. And yet, our surveillance will need to help us to determine whether Wales has moved from a COVID stable state to a COVID urgent state. We'll also need to capture the impact of other respiratory infections, so we're working closely with Public Health Wales to consider proposals for a new surveillance strategy for Wales, with the intention to roll out these developments in advance of winter 2022-23.

Llywydd, the people of Wales have worked tirelessly to protect and support each other through this incredibly difficult time. I have every confidence that, by continuing to take all the small steps to keep ourselves and others safe, we will successfully navigate through this transition period and away from the public health emergency that has dominated our lives to such an extent. Thank you, Llywydd.

Minister, can I thank you for your statement today, and also thank you for your briefings to the Health and Social Care Committee on a three-weekly basis as well? Can I welcome much of what you said today? The rules on masks in health and social care settings, though, I do think should not be part of emergency law; that should be repealed given the stable situation we are now in. So, can I ask, will you be ensuring that this instead is part of the NHS infection and control guidance rather than be enshrined in law?

When can we expect the regular statements, the three-weekly statements, to come to an end given the situation that we're now in? Do you intend the regular tv conference appearances to come to an end, or are you planning to continue with those on a regular basis? It would be useful to have your understanding on the three-week review cycle, Minister. 

I also see from your technical advisory cell advice that, while COVID infections have dropped significantly, which is of course extremely welcome news, influenza and respiratory infections are increasing. So, how concerned are you that there will be a wave of these infections over the summer period? I appreciate it's over the summer period, which makes it perhaps a little bit easier to handle, but what public messages are you planning to put forward for the coming months in that regard, if you do indeed think that this is a concern?

I notice the focus on education settings, and I very much welcome that you've removed them from the infection and control framework, alongside the Minister for education's announcements last week to lift those final restrictions. What I am concerned about is that some higher and further education institutions are still limiting face-to-face teaching. Last year, complaints against English and Welsh universities reached the highest on record, with nearly half—45 per cent—relating to service issues such as teaching and course delivery. What is the Government doing to monitor business as usual returning to higher and further education settings so students can fully attend face-to-face teaching, which I think is particularly important before the exam season starts?

Finally, Minister, you have decided to publish a separate workforce plan to your planned care recovery plan, but your online NHS workforce gaps remain at present an issue as well, which I know we'll both agree on. I see, for example, Aneurin Bevan health board is closing maternity-led birthing units at both the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall hospitals until October because of significant pressures as a direct result of staff shortages. So, although the health board has some alternatives in place—I've noted that—and given that the Cwm Taf maternity unit scandal was revealed just three years ago, what immediate monitoring are you putting in place to ensure that safe staffing levels are kept and that patient safety isn't compromised?

I also see that, in the English NHS, thousands of jobs have been created for those who have volunteered at vaccination centres, and I wonder what measures you are taking to replicate that success and what is now happening to the mass vaccination centres. Diolch, Llywydd.

Diolch yn fawr, Russell. I think it's very clear that guidance is not as strong as enforcement in law, and that's why we have continued, particularly in these very vulnerable settings, to insist on the wearing of face coverings in those settings. And it's obviously not just a requirement of the people working there, but it's also a requirement of people entering those buildings to visit. So, it is much easier for people to police that if they've got the force of law behind them. So, in that sense, the 21-day review continues, because we still have a piece of legislation that is COVID related, and that 21-day review will continue whilst that legal restriction is in place.

You're absolutely right that we are watching very carefully the increase in the numbers of people suffering with flu at the moment. You're quite right in suggesting that, actually, we're probably more worried about that really kicking off in the winter, and what we are doing already, of course, is we're continuing with our programme of communication, 'Help us help you', trying to direct people to the right care at the right place at the right time, and that is already having an impact.

In relation to education, obviously it will be a job for the education Minister to monitor how they get back to normal, just to see to what extent they can be increasing that face-to-face teaching that you set out was very important.

When it comes to workforce planning, I would remind you that we have increased the workforce in Wales by 54 per cent in the past 20 years. We've seen an increase, for example, in the number of GPs from 1,800 to 2,000 in 2021. You mentioned the situation in Aneurin Bevan. We've seen an increase of people just in primary care of 100 over the past two years, and an increase in the number of staff there of 255. So, we're constantly seeing numbers increasing. Part of the problem, of course, at the moment as well is that we've got lots of staff suffering with COVID, so they're off because of COVID, and that puts pressure on the service as well.

Thank you for the statement. I think I have three questions. There are few changes, if truth be told, by now. I'm pleased that the evidence, not so much the testing now, but the ONS evidence and the wastewater evidence—does suggest that the situation is improving. The first question is on schools and colleges, which I think see the greatest changes here given that face coverings are no longer a requirement. Can the Minister tell us how she wants to see ventilation and carbon dioxide monitoring strengthened in order to safeguard pupils?

Secondly, I'm still concerned about long COVID. As the co-chair of the cross-party group on long COVID, I have consistently asked for the development of specialist care for long COVID patients, to secure support, diagnosis and swift treatment. Now, new ONS figures suggest that 438,000 people could have long COVID symptoms from the omicron wave alone. So, it's a situation that is still developing. I've been contacted by parents who are concerned about the absence of treatment specifically for children. In England, the Minister will know that there is a network of long COVID centres, paediatric-focused centres, and what parents are telling me is not only can they not access treatment in specialist centres in Wales, but neither can they get a referral to centres outside of Wales, even if that is what would be best for their children. So, what plans will the Minister develop in order to ensure that children and young people specifically in Wales are given the best possible care for long COVID?

Thirdly and finally—

—I wrote to the First Minister on 27 April, asking him to correct the Record, the Senedd Record, after he said that responsibility for the COVID public inquiry

'has moved into the hands of the independent judge who has been appointed to lead it.'

He was answering a question asked by Heledd Fychan. Now, as somebody who has called consistently for a Wales-only inquiry to ensure that issues are looked at properly from a Welsh perspective—and these are vitally important issues, of course, surrounding the circumstances of thousands of deaths here in Wales—I'm not happy that we're just a part of a UK inquiry that I don't believe can look forensically enough at the situation here in Wales, and, as I've said repeatedly, I'm frustrated that the Labour Welsh Government has been happy to trust Boris Johnson on this, on both the timing of an inquiry and the remit. Now, the reason I called for the Record to be set straight was that full responsibility had not been handed to the independent chair and that the UK Prime Minister still had the responsibility of signing off the terms of reference—the all-important terms of reference of the inquiry. So, as the First Minister has written to me today to say that he is not going to take this opportunity to correct the Record, will the health Minister at least confirm that which is factually correct: that the First Minister was wrong to say that Boris Johnson had no further role or influence on the setting-up of the inquiry, because he had? We need a Welsh inquiry. The Welsh Government won't give us that, but at least be honest with us. 

Thank you very much. It is good to see that the numbers have come down, as you mentioned, and we know this because of the ONS and wastewater data. It's clear that new guidance has been given to universities and colleges with regard to how to deal with COVID, and, as part of that, of course, there will be a requirement for people to consider how they will ensure there is ventilation and fresh air in their rooms.

In terms of long COVID, you'll be aware that we've focused on this as a Government and, certainly from the evidence that we've received from our programme, people are more or less content with what we have introduced, even though we started a little bit late on this, but by now I think that the situation has improved. I think that there is some work yet to do in terms of children, and what we're talking about here are very small numbers. From what we've seen, very few children are impacted, but, of course, we do have a responsibility to help those children who are affected, and we do agree that there's more work to do on that.

In terms of—

—the COVID public inquiry, you will be aware of our position on this. We've made it clear all along that we are unlikely to see a Welsh public inquiry because we are a system where COVID is more or less integrated with the UK. Many of the decisions that we made were decisions based on analysis and evidence that we had via the UK Government. Certainly, our ability to stop COVID from entering the country was limited because we don't have control of airspace and people coming into the country, and I'm pleased to say that we have made £4.5 million available for health boards to be able to investigate all those people who have lost loved ones who think that they contracted it within hospital settings. So, I can assure you we're not trusting Boris Johnson; we are trusting an independent chair. We will be looking to that independent chair and we'll be making sure that we feed into those terms of reference—a system where the First Minister has made clear right from the beginning that he wanted to make sure that the terms of reference would be something that he also would be able to influence. Diolch yn fawr.

Item 4 is the next item, but the Minister is not here to make her statement. I then propose that if the Minister for health is willing to do so, and I think everybody who wants to contribute to item 5 is in the Chamber, and given that we were in a similar situation last week because the Minister for health wasn't present, perhaps the Minister for health will agree to step in at this point. Once again, I'm going to find myself talking deliberately slowly in order to allow everybody to be prepared for this statement. It's obviously not ideal. I would remind all Ministers that statements are now timetabled for 30 minutes and they need to be in the Chamber ready to make their statement.