First Minister says “action will be taken” against venues where customer tracing data is not accurately recorded

The First Minister Mark Drakeford has issued a strong warning to venues that have reopened to ensure their data collection to help any Test Trace & Protect effor is accurate.

As people increasingly come into greater contact with others, there is a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19 in some sectors. Welsh Government explain this is because customers and visitors will spend a longer time on these premises than in other surroundings, and will potentially come into close contact with people outside of their household. As a result hospitality businesses are asked to record and maintain personal data of customers, staff and visitors in support of the test and trace scheme if it is ever required.

As the First Minister has pointed to other countries, and specifically Australia before, we noted locations and venues associated with confirmed COVID-19 cases are published down under, for example, New South Wales publish a range of information complete with times and dates and categorised into if people need to self isolate or just monitoring for symptoms.

At the time of asking we were under the impression the local Wetherspoons issue was first known about locally on Monday 17th August, however this afternoon Public Health Wales said the timeframe of alert is as early as the 9th of August.

We asked the First Minister why Wales’ policy of not informing the public in such a manner was a better method than what happens in Australia and elsewhere.

The First Minister was not keen on that question, saying “I really don’t think that I agree with you. I struggle sometimes to keep up with the volume of information that the Welsh Government publishes every single day on aspects of Coronavirus. In the Wetherspoons example it does take a couple of days to make sure that an incident management team can be put together, that it can make sure it’s collecting the right information.”

“The team met earlier this morning it will publish a press release later today, setting up the results of everything that it has considered and the steps that will be taken from now on.”

“I have said to you and I am happy to say it again, I am a believer in providing as much information as early as we can to people in Wales and I think our track record on it is a bit more creditable than maybe your question would give them credit for.”

The press release subsequently was published, asking anyone who visited the North and South Wales Bank pub in Wrexham between 9th and 20th August to be vigilant for the symptoms of Coronavirus. (more here)

On Monday Deeside.com first reported how a pub in Flintshire had a visit from Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Frank Bruno and Adolf Hitler as entered into their customer data log for any track and trace efforts.

Amendments to the regulations have made it obligatory for hospitality businesses and other high-risk settings to collect contact details of customers, data that Welsh Government say is ‘essential’ information, and is now a requirement to collect not optional.

We pointed to poor information collection locally, and the above public example of poor data, and asked what is being done to ensure quality of data collection, and if there be random sampling taking place. We noted that issues will not formally surface until the data is actually required, and by then it is too late.

The First Minister said, “Thank you for that question because it really does highlight the seriousness of that issue. When outbreaks take place as in Wetherspoons in Wrexham our ability to get on top of that depends crucially on that venue having accurately collected information on the people who have been at it, I will see that play out.

“Now in that particular example the responsibility lies with the premises and the person who is in charge of that premise. As you said, we moved from this being part of our guidance to be being part of our regulations last week, so local authorities will have and do have powers to make sure that that is being done properly.

“Our TTP system will be using that information and where we find that it isn’t accurate, and when it’s blatantly not accurate, then action will be taken because unless we have that information, and unless it’s accurate, then our ability to go on protecting the public is compromised.”

“Venues that have reopened on the basis that they will put all those safeguards in place, have to make sure that they honour those commitments.”

You can view the full briefing, along with the Q&A that some media attend, via the below video:

Yn fyw nawr gyda Prif Weinidog Cymru, Mark Drakeford | Live now with First Minister, Mark Drakeford https://t.co/d45VYSmREq

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) August 21, 2020