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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Joshua Knapman

Frontline doctor says there have been new cases of coronavirus in intensive care after 'weeks of calm'

A top doctor at a Welsh hospital has given an update on coronavirus from the frontline, following a drop in new cases.

Intensive care consultant, Dr David Hepburn, who works at Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital has warned people the virus "hasn't gone away".

On Twitter he said: "So from the frontline - we have new covid cases back in ITU after two weeks calm.

"It’s still out there, and it can still kill you or make you very ill indeed. Ignore Cummings or any of that b*******.

"Keep your friends and family safe.

"It hasn’t gone away."

David Hepburn speaking to WalesOnline (Will Hayward)

Talking to WalesOnline, Dr Hepburn added: "It's been slowly getting better, but over the last couple of days, we've had a few more new cases in.

"So it hasn't gone away in the community."

"We hadn't had any new cases for quite a while, probably for a good 10 days but over the last 48 hours we've had some new ones.

"It could just be a blip. But it could also be the start of a new surge - it's a bit too early to tell really."

"The thing that's hard to tell at the minute, is if it's part of a new surge or whether it's just a blip.

"Time will tell really."

On Monday, June 1 Public Health Wales (PHW) had reported that there were no new cases diagnosed in Newport.

As of Monday June 1 PHW said 1,347 people died after contracting the virus in Wales.

At the start of the pandemic, Dr Hepburn himself contracted Covid-19, recovering and since going back to work on the frontline.

At the time, Newport was one of the worst hit areas for the virus and Dr Hepburn said that Covid-19 made him unwell for several days.

He warned that many of the patients ending up in intensive care are not old and vulnerable, but are young and active.

Watch our interview with Dr Hepburn:

Dr David Hepburn interview with Will Hayward

At the start of May, Dr Hepburn also warned people in Wales that it wasn't over by a long shot, following reports of people going out and flouting lockdown rules.

As of yesterday (Monday, June 1), people from two different households can now meet outdoors providing they maintain social distancing and stay within five miles of their home.

The estimated 130,000 at-risk people in Wales who have been "shielding" at home can also exercise outdoors and meet people from other households, but should not go into another house or share food.

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