The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Frank Atherton, has confirmed that a second patient in Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The patient is a resident in the Cardiff local authority area and has recently returned from Northern Italy, where the virus was contracted. The patient is being treated in a clinically appropriate setting.
Dr Atherton said:
I can confirm that a second patient in Wales has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
All appropriate measures to provide care for the individual and to reduce the risk of transmission to others are being taken.
I can also confirm that like the first case, this patient had travelled back to Wales from Northern Italy, where the virus was contracted.
I’d like to take this opportunity to assure the public that Wales and the whole of the UK is well prepared for these types of incidents. Working with our partners in Wales and the UK, we have implemented our planned response, with robust infection control measures in place to protect the health of the public.
The UK government earlier this week published a joint action plan to tackle the current coronavirus outbreak. The plan has been developed jointly with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations and represents a UK wide response, based on our experience dealing with other infectious diseases and previous influenza pandemic preparedness work.
The action plan deals with:
- what we know about the virus and the disease it causes
- how we have planned for an infectious disease outbreak, such as the current coronavirus outbreak
- the actions we have taken so far in response to the current coronavirus outbreak
- what we are planning to do next, depending upon the course the current coronavirus outbreak takes.
- the role the public can play in supporting this response, now and in the future.
The exact response to COVID-19 will be tailored to the nature, scale and location of the threat in the UK, as understanding of the current outbreak develops.
The Welsh Government has said it will continue to take all steps necessary to protect the health of the people of Wales.
