Concerns for people’s mental health amid 44 more deaths
A FURTHER 44 people have died with coronavirus in Wales – the most reported to Public Health Wales in a single day in the second wave of the pandemic.
It means a total of 1,939 people have lost their lives with Covid-19 since March, according to yesterday’s figures from Public Health Wales (PHW).
But the true death toll in Wales where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate is significantly higher at 2,762, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
PHW yesterday also confirmed in its daily update that 1,202 more people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 following a lab test. This was a rise on the 1,119 positive cases reported on Tuesday.
Merthyr Tydfil remains the local authority with by far the most cases per 100,000 over a seven-day average at 741, a large increase on 692.9 on Tuesday.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) had the second highest incidence rate with 553.8 cases per 100,000, up on 516.4, while Blaenau Gwent was third with 543.9, up on 523.5 the previous day.
Wales as a whole now averages 266.4 cases per 100,000 people, a rise on the 258.5 reported on Tuesday.
The numbers look at a rolling sevenday average between October 26 and November 1. However, PHW has said that due to a lag in receiving data, cases sampled in recent days will not be fully reflected in yesterday’s data, so the most recent incidence is likely to be underestimated.
RCT reported the most positive cases in the latest 24-hour period with 240, followed by Cardiff with 158, Swansea with 143, Bridgend with 84, Caerphilly with 82, Merthyr Tydfil with 69 and Neath Port Talbot with 66.
Other local authorities reporting high numbers of cases included Blaenau Gwent with 51, Newport with 48, Carmarthenshire with 43, Vale of Glamorgan with 35 and Wrexham with 33.
Elsewhere, Monmouthshire had 24, Flintshire had 21, Torfaen had 17, Powys had 16, Gwynedd had nine, Denbighshire had eight, Conwy had five, Pembrokeshire had four and Anglesey and Ceredigion had two.
Yesterday, Minister for Mental Health, Well-being and Welsh Language Eluned Morgan said coronavirus has impacted on many people’s physical health “but is also taking a huge toll on people’s mental and emotional health and well-being”.
She announced a further £3m to provide “a helping hand” to people looking for work, permanent accommodation or for people struggling with mental health or substance misuse problems.
She said: “There are those who are feeling more than just a general sense of frustration with this pandemic, struggling with feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, fear, worry and even hopelessness.
“Too often though, many overlook or fail to recognise their increased anxiety, try to ignore negative feeling and hope they go away.
“It’s really important that we can acknowledge these feelings and can talk openly about them.”
The latest figures came with less than a week remaining on Wales’ 17-day firebreak lockdown.
The rules require people to stay at home wherever possible, non-essential retail has been shut, and secondary schools have closed for those in year nine and above.
First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed on Monday that travel restrictions will be lifted after the firebreak ends on November 9 and pubs, cafes and restaurants will reopen.
On that date, people from two households will be able to form bubbles again. The new rules will last for two weeks after which they will be reviewed to see if further changes can be made.
He said: “We need to do the minimum, not the maximum, which the rules allow. Our real strength lies in the choices we make and the actions we take together.
“When we came out of lockdown in the spring, we took a cautious approach, relaxing restrictions gradually to make sure we did not lose all the gains we had worked so hard for.
“We will once again take that approach – for the first two weeks after the firebreak ends, the national measures will be designed to maximise the impact of the work we have all been doing to control the spread of the virus.
“We will review the situation in a fortnight’s time to see whether we can make further changes.”
However, the First Minister has since confirmed people will be banned from meeting friends outside of their extended household in their gardens when the firebreak lockdown ends.
It means any plans for social gatherings in private gardens will have to remain on hold for now and anyone who ignores this will be breaking the law.