Four wards closed and staff testing ‘stepped up’ in response to second hospital outbreak

The First Minister has said there has been a ‘small number’ of newly positive coronavirus cases connected to the ongoing outbreak at Wrexham’s hospital.

Today we asked the First Minister Mark Drakeford for the latest information on the ongoing second outbreak at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The latest outbreak was first declared on the 6th of November affecting a ‘small number’, which had increased to 20 people by the 13th and then 49 by the 20th of November, and “80 to 90” people in the update last week.

We also pointed to the slow roll out of ‘all staff’ testing in response to the first outbreak, and asked how confident he was that a vaccine rollout for staff and patients who are eligible will be carried out swiftly.

The First Minister replied, “I have the figures for Wrexham, there are a small number of patients and staff that have been newly tested as positive – they are in single figures in both cases.”

“Four wards are currently closed at the Maelor Hospital as a result of the outbreak and measures are being taken across the hospital to reduce staff and patient movement, to step up staff testing, and to make sure that the most stringent infection prevention and control measures are in place.”

“In relation to the vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine in particular does pose some challenges in its distribution and delivery as it has got to be stored at below 70 degrees centigrade. It can only be taken from the store for a fixed number of hours. The regulator set a minimum batch level, and said that you couldn’t break up a batch of the vaccine below that level.

“So, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine does have to be very carefully thought through, but here in Wales, we had a big exercise in the NHS only a week or so ago to test all of those things. We are as confident as we can be that when the vaccine arrives and we start vaccinating on Tuesday, and we will be able to deliver it to those frontline staff and those most vulnerable people who we want to get to first.”

You can view the full briefing from lunchtime on the below video:

Yn fyw nawr gyda'r Prif Weinidog | Live now with First Minister, Mark Drakeford https://t.co/aMIetu5Z8o

— Welsh Government (@WelshGovernment) December 4, 2020