Nine more coronavirus cases confirmed in Wales
Nine more cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Wales, Public Health Wales has confirmed.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 15.
Two of the patients had recently returned together from northern Italy, and are resident in the Carmarthenshire local authority area.
The other seven patients were tested following tracing in connection with the Neath Port Talbot Council resident who was tested positive at the weekend and which was announced on Monday.
One of the seven is a resident of Cardiff local authority area, one is from Swansea local authority area and the other five are all from Neath Port Talbot local authority area.
Dr Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales confirmed the news on Tuesday saying he expected the number of cases to increase.
"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."
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Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus said Wales and the whole of the UK is prepared for these types of incidents.
“Public Health Wales’ trained scientists are now conducting the NovelCoronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic test in Wales. Over 90 per cent of theindividuals who have been tested in Wales have been offered testing in theirown home, making it as convenient as possible for them, as well as protecting our ambulance and hospital resources for those who need it most. We are not able to comment on individual cases for reasons of patient confidentiality.”
Coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, ordifficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.
It comes after Sky's Cardiff contact centre was closed after a worker was diagnosed with coronavirus.
Sky said the staff member was self-isolating at home and the centre, which is located in the city's Capital Quarter, was expected to reopen on Thursday following a deep clean.