The NHS in Wales will not be able to cope if coronavirus hospital admissions continue to rise at the rate they currently are at, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.
The NHS in Wales “will not be able to cope as it is today” if the current levels of coronavirus-related admissions continue in the coming weeks, First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned.
He told a press conference in Cardiff on Friday that outdoor attractions across Wales, such as winter wonderlands, would be closed to limit the spread of coronavirus.
An updated coronavirus control plan will be published by the Welsh government next week to help people, businesses and public services “plan in these rapidly changing circumstances,” he told a press conference.
The Welsh government’s traffic light plan was first launched in May as the country prepared to come out of lockdown but this has now been revised.
Mr Drakeford said: “The revised plan sets out four alert levels. Today in Wales, we are at alert level 3, the traffic light is red, the level of risk is very high.
“If the strengthened measures of last week and the extra action of this week – together with the efforts each and every one of us need to make – if those measures do not succeed in turning the tide of the virus then it is inevitable that we will have to consider a move to alert level 4 immediately after Christmas."
Mr Drakeford has described the coronavirus situation in Wales as “very serious”.
Although the country’s 17-day firebreak lockdown had successfully brought down rates of coronavirus these had now risen “faster than our models have predicted”, adding that it was “firmly entrenched in so many parts of Wales”.
“In some parts of Wales, such as Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taf, the rates are now incredibly high,” Mr Drakeford told the briefing.
“These very high levels of coronavirus are translating inevitably into significant and sustained pressure on our NHS.
“This week the number of coronavirus related patients in hospital passed 1,900 for the very first time and continues to rise.
“If this increase continues at this rate, we could see 2,500 people with coronavirus in hospital by Christmas Day.”
