Around half of A&E staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus, according to a consultant.
Dr Tim Rogerson, an A&E consultant at the hospital in Newport, explained that "around 50% of the consultant workforce in A&E have swabbed positive for coronavirus", as well as a "similar percent" within the hospital's nursing team.
The frontline doctor revealed the statistic in a video shared by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board on Saturday, as he revealed that he has tested positive for the virus.
In the video he explained that he has been off work since experiencing coronavirus symptoms and that his son has also tested positive for the virus.
Dr Rogerson said: "This has obviously happened despite all of the PPE that we've got and all the hand washing that we're doing but it's probably just a likely thing that's going to happen when we're faced with such numbers of patients coming in with coronavirus.
"We're probably up to around 50% of the consultant workforce at the Gwent in A&E who have swabbed positive for the coronavirus and a similar percent in our nursing team.
"It is proving a challenge when it's coming to staffing the department when we are facing these numbers coming through."
He also urged members of the public to stay indoors over the Easter weekend will impact the hospital's intensive care unit's capacity "in two weeks time", as well as on staff "that are being put at risk and are being exposed to coronavirus".
Dr Rogerson said he has been off work since Sunday April 5 with a fever, aches, sore throat and a lack of a sense of smell.
He said: “I think, talking to other colleague I have had a mild to moderate set of symptoms.
“I know some of my colleagues in A&E have been quite sick and been off for a couple of weeks.
“So, I think that is probably a blessing to get started with, but I am obviously frustrated not to be in work.”
The Aneurin Bevan Health Board has had the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wales.
On Saturday health officials said a further 36 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of deaths to 351.
There are now 4,930 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Wales, Public Health Wales said on Saturday, after 340 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours. There were 912 tests undertaken since the figures were last updated. In total almost 16,000 individuals have been tested with a total of 18,716 tests carried out.
The true number of those with the virus is likely to be much higher, according to Public Health Wales.
The greatest rise in cases over the past day was in the Cwm Taf Morggannwg University Health Board area, with 69 new cases, though this was only just ahead of Aneurin Bevan (68), Cardiff and Vale (67), and Swansea Bay (66).
You can read all the theories on why Gwent is the worst-hit place in Wales here.
