Omicron: More Covid rules needed in Wales, minister says

Wales will need more restrictions to keep the country safe, a senior Welsh government minister has said.

Ministers are considering whether further measures are needed after Christmas to tackle Omicron.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething called for the UK government to restart the furlough scheme.

It comes as spectators are banned from all indoor, outdoor, professional and community sports events in Wales from 26 December.

Mr Gething said a £3m Spectator Sports Fund will be available to support clubs and venues.

He said he expected “several thousand” identified Omicron cases in Wales, with the real number being much higher. The number of Omicron cases identified in Wales rose by 204 on Tuesday to 640.

Ministers are meeting to discuss post-Christmas hospitality restrictions, and a press conference is expected on Wednesday.

Last week, Welsh ministers decided to shut nightclubs, and reintroduce social distancing in workplaces, from 27 December.

There are calls for the Welsh Parliament to sit during recess to debate any new restrictions, from Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies.

He said: “The drip, drip effect of releasing restrictions by press release risks undermining public confidence at such an important time of the year for families and businesses.

“Imposing restrictions on society must be done on the strongest possible evidence, and fully communicated to the Welsh public in the form we have become accustomed to during the pandemic – not released via press release at midnight.”

He said it was essential further changes were debated in the Senedd beforehand.

Plaid Cymru’s sports spokeswoman Heledd Fychan said it was important sports clubs were supported.

“Our sports thrive with public support, and it’s a cruel twist that so coronavirus thrives in crowds as well,” she added.

Out on the main shopping street in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, there was a feeling of uncertainty about what’s ahead.

Rachel Evans, 50, said she was hoping her Boxing Day party with her two brothers and their families will still go ahead but she is prepared for the worst.

“It may have to be cancelled like it was last year. We did an online quiz then between us all.

“But we’ve seen a lot of footfall in Treorchy over the last few days, people worrying about what’s going to happen. The shops are really busy at the minute.”

Her daughter, Carys Evans, 19, has plans to go out with friends on New Year’s Eve.

“Who knows now, I probably won’t,” she said. “It’s a bit gutting because especially last year when we couldn’t go out. It’s another year of it, another year of nothing really.”

Speaking on the BBC News Channel, the former health minister Mr Gething said more protections “are likely to be introduced from the 27th onwards”.

“We’re going to have to see what that means for the period of time that it could happen as well,” he said.

“But we’ll do the right thing to try to do everything we can to protect sporting clubs and the wider economy as well.

“We really think we would be helped in doing that if there was a return to furlough because I’m confident that more protective measures will be needed to keep people safe and alive and well.

“And more than that, to prevent services collapsing under the weight of a large wave of Omicron infections.”

The events affected include the Cardiff versus Scarlets rugby match at Cardiff Arms Park on 26 December, and the Welsh Grand National in Chepstow the following day.

Scarlets boss Phil Morgan said the news is “another significant financial blow to the business”, but health and safety will “always be our utmost priority”.

The Ospreys versus Dragons match had already been called off because of a Covid outbreak, as had football matches involving Cardiff City and Newport County.

The move comes a few weeks ahead of big international fixtures, with the first of three Six Nations home games on 12 February against Scotland, while the men’s football team play Austria in a crucial World Cup play-off in Cardiff on 24 March.

Cameron Lowe, chairman of Swansea Uplands Rugby Club, said the new rules would hit many rugby clubs “quite hard”.

”We need to get where the line lands between what a touchline spectators is and whether people can still come and have a beer in the bar and watch TV sport,” he said.

The Welsh government said restrictions would be reviewed regularly, adding: “Crowds will come back as soon as possible. We want everyone to be here to enjoy their favourite sports.”

On these new restrictions, Mr Gething said: “Sporting events over the Christmas period are one of the big highlights of the year. Unfortunately, the new Omicron variant is a significant development in the pandemic and could cause a large number of infections.

“We need to do everything we can to protect people’s health and control the spread of this awful virus.”

The Welsh government said further details about the £3m support package would be made available following discussions with the sector.

It added that a sporting event referred to all indoor and outdoor sporting events, whether ticketed or not, with spectators.

It said this included larger sporting events and those at every level, including community level, which attract significantly smaller crowds.

The overall rate of coronavirus infections is also rising in Wales, standing at 575 per 100,000 people. It has the lowest case rate of the nations.

In hospitals, a total of 87.6% of acute hospital beds are occupied, slightly down on two weeks ago.

The number of Covid patients on invasive ventilation or in critical care beds stands at 30, the lowest number seen since 23 August.

There are more than four times the number of non-Covid patients in critical care.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned of “a gathering storm” of Omicron infections after the Christmas period and has already announced that nightclubs will shut down at midnight on Boxing Day.

He also said it was “inevitable” there would be further restrictions for pubs and restaurants after Christmas.

The Welsh government said the new sports restrictions would be “reviewed regularly”.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, Prof Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, called for clarity on gatherings over Christmas, adding there were concerns over waiting while the virus continues to double every two days.

“The longer we leave it, the worse this is going to get. Waiting for more hospitalisations to increase before you make a move could be too little too late,” he said.

He added that the World Health Organization had advised “it is better to cancel events than cancel lives”.

“We need to have more time to get jabs into arms. We know that the vaccine programme is going really well, but it’s a very, very stretched target to get all adults boosted by the end of December.”

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, added it was not only the number of patients with Omicron that could put pressure on hospitals, but also the number of staff absences.

“It is starting to have a real serious impact… this isn’t just down to government this is down to us as individuals to do all we can to protect ourselves and the family,” he said.