Clusters of the Indian variant of concern found in seaside towns in north Wales could affect the easing of lockdown restrictions planned for next week.
That's the warning from minister for health and social services, Eluned Morgan, who described the rise in cases of the VOC-21APR-02 strain as "very serious".
Public Health Wales confirmed on Wednesday that 35 confirmed or presumptive cases of the Indian strain were found in Llandudno Junction, Llandudno and Penrhyn Bay areas over the bank holiday weekend.
Conwy county now has the highest seven-day Covid-19 infection rate in Wales with 18.8 positive cases per 100,000 population, up from 17.9 the day before and ahead of Bridgend which had been the Covid capital of Wales for several days prior.
The Welsh Government is set to hold a press conference on Friday to announce whether Wales can further ease lockdown restrictions from Monday, June 7. The hope was that Wales could enter alert level one which would include:
- Allowing up to six people to meet in private homes from outside your household bubble;
- Allowing a bubble to form with two households (it is currently just one);
- Allowing up to 30 people to meet outdoors (it is currently just the rule of six);
- Allowing organised activities of up to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors. This will include weddings.
Baroness Morgan told BBC Wales: "This is becoming very serious, we need to make sure that we try and nip this in the bud in that particular area and obviously all of this will play into how we assess the situation on Friday."
Public Health Wales, Conwy County Borough Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are urging people living in those areas to be alert for coronavirus symptoms and to take a test as soon as possible even if they have no symptoms.
Those without any Covid symptoms are being told to get a lateral flow test at a mobile unit at Ysgol Awel y Mynydd in Llandudno Junction. Those in the area who do have symptoms have been asked to attend Conwy Business Centre for a more accurate PCR test.
The minister added: "I don't think we'd define it quite yet as community transmission, but it's on its way to becoming that and that's why we really need people in the area to co-operate with us… to make sure that we can try and suppress this particular variant.
"The last thing we want to see is this spreading across the whole of Wales."
Updated figures on the spread of the Indian variant are expected to be published by Public Health Wales on Thursday, June 3.
The UK Government has said up to three-quarters of new cases in England could be of the variant, which has been renamed Delta by the World Health Organisation.
