DEATH TOLL DROPS BUT WALES SET TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS

THE UK has recorded its lowest Saturday death toll in hospitals from coronavirus since lockdown began. A total of 80 more deaths have been reported over the last day, with 67 in England, five in Scotland, six in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.

The latest figures means that the total number of people to have died with lab-confirmed coronavirus in Wales since the beginning of the outbreak now stands at 1,441.

There have also been 45 new cases of the virus confirmed, taking the total in Wales to 14,703.

Wales is currently in the red stage of its “traffic light system”, and the Welsh Government has made it clear that it needs to progress to the amber stage before people can access non-essential retail and services and before people are allowed to travel greater distances for leisure activities.

On Friday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales would continue with its cautious approach and would not be pressured into following England’s speedier approach.

In Wales, people are restricted to journeys of five miles for leisure, and non-essential shops remain closed.

But in England, there is no travel limit and shops are reopening from tomorrow.

Mr Drakeford said because of the “sober and cautious way” in which the restrictions were being lifted and the efforts of the public in sticking to the rules, incidents of coronavirus were declining.

He said: “We can choose a path in which we retain our freedoms gradually, carefully and safely, using the headroom we have made together, but never taking steps which would knowingly undermine everything we have achieved.

“Or we can throw it all away, lift the restrictions in a rush and run the real risk of this deadly virus being on the rise again in Wales.

“I and my cabinet colleagues make decisions next week about the weeks ahead. I want you to know that whatever happens elsewhere and however loud the demands to do things differently might be, we will stick to the path we have chosen.

“Your safety and that of your family will always be at the forefront of our thinking as we move to rebuild our society and our economy in Wales.”

He also said that the two-metre social-distancing rule would only change if the advice from the Sage committee of experts changed.

The daily figures released by Public Health Wales reflect the number of people who have died with lab-confirmed coronavirus which have been reported to it. The deaths may not have all occurred in the past 24 hours, as it can take two or three days for reports to reach PHW.

Of the 45 new cases confirmed, Betsi Cadwalder Health Board has recorded the most with 20. That area of Wales also has the highest confirmed number of coronavirus deaths with 319.

The only Welsh health board with zero new cases was Powys Teaching Health Board, which has also recorded the fewest coronavirus deaths overall.

The latest estimates of the R number, which shows the average number of people every person with coronavirus is infecting, show it has fallen in Wales to between 0.5 and 0.8 – with a most likely mid point of 0.7 as of May 29, which means that the virus is spreading more slowly in Wales than elsewhere in the UK.

Yesterday marked the start of social support “bubbles” being allowed in England and Northern Ireland for those living alone to see one other household exclusively without observing social distancing.

But, experts from the SAGE advisory group to the Government have previously raised concerns about allowing these bubbles to form, saying they could have “significant unwanted effects” unless done so with caution.

Pubs and restaurants could reportedly be advised to ban shouting and singing among a raft of potential measures that may enable the hotlydebated two-metre social distancing rule to be dropped.

Meanwhile experts from the Sage panel which advises the Government on how to tackle coronavirus have warned that pet cats and dogs can carry the Covid-19 virus on fur.

A new Sage report says the risk of pets transmitting the virus to humans is “medium” – although the risk is “high” for those with underlying health problems. Sage carried out a risk assessment after two dogs were infected with the virus in Hong Kong and a cat in Belgium also tested positive after its owner fell ill with Covid19, reports The Mirror.

“Companion animals can have very close contact with their owners which could lead to exchange of respiratory fluid; therefore, they may be exposed.

“Nevertheless, exposure may not lead to infectivity and infection in animals and the SARS-CoV-2 appears to be predominantly transmitted from human to human. Until more surveillance data are available, a precautionary risk level has been given.”

Professor James Wood, head of Department of Veterinary Medicine, and researcher in infection dynamics and control of diseases, University of Cambridge, said : “The paper reiterates what we know, which is that despite millions of people having had Covid-19, the numbers of pets found to be ill or infected is still tiny.

“Put simply, our pet dogs and cats can catch Covid-19 from us, when they are living with us, but only do on very rare occasions.

“The paper also looks into the risks of pets transmitting Covid-19 to owners and finds (with justifications) that the risks of owners catching Covid-19 because their pet dog or cat has it are very low.

“There are more ways that a dog or cat that has been in extended contact with a Covid-19 patient could carry the virus on its coat into another situation, but in my view this scenario is very unlikely, particularly for dogs which tend to be less free roaming than cats.

“There is no reason for vulnerable people to stop cuddling their dog or cat. Everyone should maintain good hygienic standards with their pets and wash their hands across the day, as is generally advised, to avoid the risks of them contaminating themselves.”