New strain is now being monitored

THE Welsh Government says it is monitoring a new strain of Covid which spreads more easily and is more likely to make people ill.

Throughout the pandemic new variants have been serious challenges when it comes to controlling the virus. The Kent variant that really got going in Wales in late December was one example (it was far more transmissible) as was the Delta variant that is now the most dominant strain in Wales and came over from India.

Speaking at his press conference yesterday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there was now another version of the Delta variant circulating in Wales which appeared to spread more easily.

He said: “We do know that there are more than 2,000 cases of the new type of Delta variant in Wales already. The evidence is preliminary on two scores: is it more transmissible and do people fall more seriously ill?

“Well, the preliminary evidence is that on both counts the answer is yes, though not at hugely increased levels.”

At the press conference Mr Drakeford confirmed that if cases were not coming down at the next Covid review in three weeks he would introduce new measures such as Covid passes being required for pubs and restaurants.

But he stressed that this new variant did not seem to be massively more dangerous than previous variants.

“I would like to emphasise two things,” he said. “The first is that this is preliminary. There will be more research and more evidence will emerge. The additional transmissibility and the additional seriousness in the figures I have seen are around the 10% level.

“You will recall that the Kent variant was 70% more transmissible.

“Although this could be more transmissible and more serious, it doesn’t look as though it will be at the higher end of that impact.

“When you have 730 people in every 100,000 people falling ill with coronavirus in Wales, 10% of a large number is a large number. We don’t want that. That is why we are highlighting it today.”