CORONAVIRUS ‘START OF UK PEAK EXPECTED TO HIT SOON’

Sixth person dies as confirmed cases rise to 382 Nine new patients in Wales bring total here to 15 Inside Covid-19 diagnosis lab at Wales’ largest hospital All Italy Guinness PRO14 rugby fixtures postponed Ramsey set to miss Wales friendlies amid lock

NINE new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Wales.

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, confirmed last night that nine further patients have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

This brings the total number of positive cases in Wales up to 15.

Two of the patients are from Carmarthenshire and recently returned from northern Italy together.

The other seven patients were tested following tracing in connection with the Neath Port Talbot resident who tested positive at the weekend.

One of the seven patients is from Cardiff, one is from Swansea and the other five are all from Neath Port Talbot.

All nine patients are being managed in clinically appropriate settings.

Dr Atherton said: “I can confirm that nine additional individuals in Wales have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of positive cases in Wales to 15.

“All of the individuals are being managed in clinically appropriate settings. All appropriate measures to provide care for the individuals and to reduce the risk of transmission to others are being taken.

“We have always been clear that we expected the number of positive cases to increase, which is in line with what has happened in other parts of the world.

“The identification of the seven individuals linked to the Neath Port Talbot resident case shows that the contact tracing and community testing being carried out by Public Health Wales is working as it should.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to assure the public that Wales and the whole of the UK is 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.”

A Sky call centre worker based in Cardiff has been diagnosed with coronavirus, the firm has confirmed.

The call centre, in the Capital Quarter in Tyndall Street, was been evacuated and the office closed for

deep cleaning and will reopen tomorrow.

In a statement, Sky said: “We can confirm that a Sky colleague in our Cardiff contact centre has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and they are self-isolating at home.

“Protecting our people is – and always will be – our top priority and so we are closing the contact centre today and sending everyone home as a precaution. We’re contacting anyone who has been in contact with our colleague and the centre itself will be deep-cleaned before reopening on Thursday.”

Meanwhile, two south Wales high schools have been advised not to take any “special precautions” following recent trips to Disneyland Paris.

The world-famous French resort confirmed one of its staff members tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

Hawthorn High School, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Whitchurch High School, in Cardiff, both contacted parents yesterday addressing concerns following recent trips the schools made to Disneyland Paris.

Hawthorn High School said Public

Health Wales had advised the school to take “no special precautions at this stage”, adding the advice is to continue with regular hand-washing and monitoring of symptoms.

Whitchurch High School told parents it was advised there would have been “no risk to pupils or staff” as the affected employee was not in contact with visitors.

On Monday, a spokesman for Disneyland Paris confirmed a worker had tested positive for coronavirus. The resort said the staff member was a maintenance worker who was not in contact with guests. Disneyland has remained open to visitors.

Shoppers across Wales are continuing to stockpile because of the virus, and panic has led to hand sanitiser being stolen. Aisles have been stripped of pasta, hand sanitiser, soap and toilet roll as people prepare for possible isolation.

Fears over some of these items becoming unavailable has led some shops to ration the essentials, and one playgroup in Wales, Whirlikidz in Chepstow has even been the target of theft.