Health boards across Wales have been making preparations for the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, which one government adviser has warned could be as soon as Easter.
One main focus for health boards has been increasing their capacity of intensive care beds, prompting Hywel Dda University Health Board to build temporary hospitals at sites like Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli.
Preparations being made at Cwm Taf Morganng University Health Board have also required major infrastructure work focusing on expanding the intensive care units.
As of Friday, March 27, the health board, which covers Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, and Bridgend, had 68 confirmed cases of Covid-19 out of 921 Wales-wide.
At the Prince Charles Hospital in Methyr Tydfil clinical and non-clinical staff successfully increased the critical care capacity from eight beds to 22 at the end of last week.
According to Dr Dave Jones, who works at the hospital, the intensive care unit has been in a temporary home for the last three months. The completion date for the team to return to the ward wasn't until mid-April but a team of staff from the estates, housekeeping, IT, finance and engineering departments at the hospital meant the ward is now ready three weeks earlier than planned.
This department will now be used specifically for coronavirus cases.
An increase in intensive care capacity has been replicated at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
John Palmer, chief operating officer at the health board, said a team of NHS staff have been working together to make this possible.
He said: "During the last 20 days we have seen phenomenal efforts from our clinical teams to change the capacity we have available in the organisation to serve what is going to be a very challenging period.
"As part of that effort there are a huge number of unsung heroes who work in our non-clinical support staff."
Construction workers are currently working on the emergency department at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, helping to construct more cubicles in preparation for patients with Covid-19.
Amanda Farrow, clinician lead in the department, said: "Previously we had four cubicles. We have now expanded our main area to seven plus we have now got four in the neighbouring department so we should have up to 11."
On top of infrastructure changes across the health board all critical care unit staff have received training designed to treat those with Covid-19.
The training has focused on the correct use of personal protection equipment (PPE) and intubation skills to fit patients with coronavirus with ventilators.
In a video posted to the health board's Facebook page a ward manager named Sue at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend explained how one ward has had a bed removed in order to create a suitable "doffing" area where staff members can remove and put on their PPE before treating patients.
She said: "I think at the moment everyone is still very apprehensive as to what they are going to be coming up against. Again PPE has been the biggest question with everybody but hopefully as we are going along and training people and they know what they are going to be using hopefully we can allay their fears."
On Friday the Royal Mint announced that they had begun producing protective visors for NHS staff, with some already in use at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
The health board has also been working to reassure staff and announced on Friday they now have five staff testing units operational across the health board, increasing the facilities from one to five over the last five days.
Sharon O'Brien, head of corporate nursing, said: "This has been a fantastic, combined effort involving many staff across the health board including nursing, estates, facilities and procurement.
"Having these five testing units means that we are set up to test our staff more quickly and to support their return to work."
Ms O'Brien added that more than 100 staff members had been able to safely return to work by using their existing testing facility.
Staff members are encouraged to contact their line manager about any concerns they may have in order to discuss symptoms and to see if they are suitable to meet the criteria to be tested.
She added: "The implementation or our staff testing unit is part of our health board wide plan to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be to meet the challenges of Covid-19."
Like most Welsh health boards, Cwm Taf Morgannwg has also stopped patient visits with an exception if the patient is receiving end-of-life care, one birthing partner accompanying a woman in labour, and one person in paediatrics and neonatal areas.
