First hospital patient arrives at revamped Principality Stadium
MORE than 150 people have died with coronavirus in Cardiff, new figures have revealed – and more than a third were in care homes.
The latest grim figures, released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show 166 deaths in the city have been registered where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
Of those, most (85) were recorded in hospital, with one in three (63) in care homes.
The death toll, revealing the scale of the pandemic in the capital, was published on a day which also saw:
■ The first patient arrive at the Dragon’s Heart Hospital inside the Principality Stadium;
■ The Education Minister confirming there would be no “imminent” return to schools in Wales;
■ The death toll in UK hospitals hitting 21,678 – a rise of 586 on the previous day’s figures;
■ The number of deaths with Covid19 in Wales rising to 813, up 17 on Monday’s total; and
■ A shipment of 200,000 protective gowns arriving in a flight from Cambodia to Cardiff Airport.
Overall, Covid-19 was a factor in 17% of deaths that occurred in Cardiff in the week up to April 17.
Across Wales, for deaths registered in that same week, 409 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, up from 304 the week before.
That represented more than a third (35%) of all deaths registered in the nation.
The total deaths for that week marked the highest number recorded for any week since published figures began in 2010.
Across South Wales, there have been 128 deaths with Covid-19 in Rhondda Cynon Taf, 90 in Caerphilly, 80 in Newport, 46 in Vale of Glamorgan, 46 in Bridgend, 39 in Blaenau Gwent, and 28 in Merthyr Tydfil.
It came as the first patient was admitted to Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig/the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, the temporary field hospital set up nine days ago in the Princpality Stadium to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board yesterday posted footage online showing a St John Ambulance arriving at the facility.
St John Ambulance acknowledged the moment on Twitter, writing: “We’ve been supporting communities in Wales for over 100 years and today marked another key moment in our history as we work together with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board supporting those who need us at the Dragon’s Heart Hospital.”
The temporary hospital will care for patients who are coming to the end of their treatment for Covid-19 and require rehabilitation and support, or end-of-life palliative care.
Where the pitch is normally found, there now sits one of the largest tents in Europe, with facilities to provide treatment if hospitals cannot cope with a large influx of patients.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister said schools in Wales will not be reopening to all students any time soon – although there could be a phased return for a limited number of students.
Kirsty Williams has set out five key principles which will determine how pupils will go back to school after the coronavirus restrictions are eased. Currently, schools are only open to vulnerable pupils and children of critical workers, with many local authorities adopting a hub approach. Ms Williams said she was planning for a “new normal” in which schools would not be operating at full capacity and would only be partially open. Answering questions from the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee yesterday, Ms Williams said: “I am clear that a return to normal is not imminent and therefore I am not in a position to give a date as to when you will see more schools opening up to more children. “What I have done is publish the principles that will aid me in making a decision.
“I cannot make a decision regarding education in isolation. It will have to be taken in context of the wider Welsh Government response to dealing with this pandemic.
“It is not feasible that we will move from where we are now to what all of us would regard as normal education and what the operation of schools looked like before this pandemic.”
Earlier this month, she suggested Wales could follow countries in Europe such as Denmark with a phased reopening of schools, starting with younger children in primary education.
Ms Williams said: “I am also very clear that should we be given the opportunity to see more children in our schools, I will only do that when it is safe for me to do so, when I have been advised by the chief medical officer that I am able to do that, and we have given sufficient time and planning to the sector.
“It is not going to be easy and we will need to give them as a sector time to adjust. We are not relaxing any regulations around schools at present and neither is that imminent.”
Ms Williams told the committee there were 518 school hubs open across Wales attended by around 4,200 pupils – the equivalent of 1% of pupils.