Is Wales heading for another lockdown? First Minister Mark Drakeford warns hospitality industry to prepare for Covid passes and tells people they’ll have to work from home as infections soar to the highest rate since pandemic began

• Labour’s Mark Drakeford has talked up the potential of Covid passes and return of work from home rules
• Welsh First Minister warned the country must make a ‘concerted effort’ to tackle high numbers in three weeks
• It comes as Wales is set to introduce new measures to curb the rising number of hospitalisations in the nation
• These include self-isolation restrictions, lateral flow testing in schools, vaccine passes in hospitality venues
• Per the most recent government data, more than 680 people were in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19 

The First Minister of Wales has talked up the potential of Covid passes and teased a return of lockdowns as Covid restrictions are set to tighten in the country following a surge in hospitalisations. 

Labour’s Mark Drakeford warned the harm from coronavirus in the Welsh community remains ‘real’ as he set out further measures that could be taken to bring numbers back down on Friday.

He said within the government there was in communication with hospitality venues about the potential for the use of Covid passes in that sector. 

And he also discussed a return to enforced work from home rules for those capable in the coming weeks.

Speaking on Sky News, Mr Drakeford said: ‘We have to make a concerted effort over the next three weeks to bring those numbers down.’

It comes as Wales is set to tighten Covid restrictions to tackle a rising number of hospital admissions, with more than 680 people in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19 on October 27. 

Positive case numbers have also been at their highest recorded total since the pandemic began this month, although numbers have dipped in recent days to fewer than 2,600. 

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford (above) talked up the potential of Covid passes and teased a return of lockdowns as Covid restrictions tighten in the country following a surge in hospitalisations

Mr Drakeford warned the harm from coronavirus in the Welsh community remains ‘real’ as he set out further measures that could be taken to bring numbers back down on Friday

Positive case numbers in Wales have also been at their highest recorded total since the pandemic began this month, although numbers have dipped in recent days to fewer than 2,600

It comes as Wales is set to tighten Covid restrictions to tackle a rising number of hospital admissions, with more than 680 people in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19 on October 27. Pictured: Ambulances parked outside University Hospital Wales, Cardiff

Official data showed England recorded 33,903 new infections, 2,153 cases were confirmed in Scotland, while 2,664 were spotted in Wales and 1,122 in Northern Ireland. Cases appear to be trending downwards in all four nations. 

And the number of people going to hospital who were infected with Covid seems to be plateauing. Some 962 sought NHS care on Sunday — the most recent day the data is available for — a rise of 0.3 per cent on the 959 patients admitted last week.

Meanwhile, 165 people died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, a jump of 43.5 per cent on the 115 deaths recorded on the same day last week.D

Despite cases trending downwards and No10’s modellers estimating there will be just 5,000 daily cases over the festive period, the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the UK is still in a ‘very uncertain phase’ of the pandemic and warned Plan B should not be taken off the table.

Within Wales, adults who are fully vaccinated, and young people aged five to 17, will be asked to self-isolate until they have received a negative PCR test if someone in their household has symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19.

People who are not vaccinated will still have to self-isolate for 10 days following contact with someone who has tested positive, including close contacts outside of their household.

Asked what more could be done, Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We can certainly extend the Covid pass into other settings. 

‘We will be talking to hospitality over the next three weeks to help them to prepare, should that be necessary. We hope it won’t be, of course.

‘We will go back to the risk assessments we carry out in the workplace to see whether there is more we can do, more people working from home, back to social distancing in the workplace, looking at the way that schools are organised to try to prevent more young people from contracting the disease.

‘The current level of restrictions in Wales are the lowest they have been since coronavirus began. I want it to stay that way, to keep Wales safe, to keep Wales open.

‘What I’m saying to people today is unless we work together to bring the numbers down, if they’re up again in three weeks’ time, we’ll all have to be thinking again.’

Headteachers will be given extra support to quickly put measures in place in their schools if case rates are high locally.

Staff and secondary school students will also be encouraged to take twice-weekly lateral flow tests to help keep coronavirus out of schools.

Ambulances wait outside the Accident and Emergency centre at The Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant

Covid passes are set to be rolled out in theatres, cinemas and concert halls from November 15. [File image]

The Welsh Government also intends to extend the use of the Covid Pass to theatres, cinemas and concert halls from November 15.

However, the country will remain at alert level zero.

The First Minister, Mark Drakeford, said: ‘Over the past three weeks, coronavirus cases have risen sharply to the highest rates we have seen since the pandemic began and more people are falling so seriously ill that they need hospital treatment.

‘All this means that the pandemic is far from over. We need to take more action now to strengthen the measures we have in place at alert level zero to prevent coronavirus spreading even further and more people falling seriously ill.

‘We hope this action will help to turn the tide of this delta.

‘None of us wants to see a return to restrictions but, if rates continue to rise, the Cabinet will have no choice but to consider raising the alert level at the next review.

‘Let’s all work together as a team to reduce the spread of coronavirus and keep Wales open and keep Wales safe.’

The Welsh Government is also continuing to encourage everyone to work from home wherever possible and is still imposing a legal requirement to wear a face covering in indoor public places. 

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