Health minister Vaughan Gething returns to work after testing negative for COVID-19

Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething has returned to work after testing negative for COVID-19.

Mr Gething went into 14 day self-isolation on Tuesday after his son displayed potential symptoms of the virus.

But at a press conference on Thursday morning, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that Mr Gething had subsequently tested negative for the coronavirus and would now be returning to work.

It was explained that Mr Gething's role in crucial health legislation and the security implications of him not being able to dial into cobra meetings from home meant the test was necessary.

But ITV Wales' Political Editor, Adrian Masters, asked whether Mr Gething receiving a test could make it look like there was "one rule for politicians & one rule for others."

Mr Drakeford replied that he felt the public would agree that having the health minister at his desk "is valuable."

Vaughan Gething attended a cobra meeting in London earlier this week Credit: PA

It comes after Mr Gething announced frontline healthcare workers will be given priority testing for coronavirus.

Mr Gething said the loss of essential workers for seven or fourteen days if they were to self-isolate would be "detrimental" to healthcare services.

Providing a negative test would allow them to return to work, he added.

Nearly 900,000 people around the UK signed a petition calling for frontline NHS staff to be prioritised for coronavirus testing.

More than 900,000 people signed a petition calling for frontline NHS workers to receive COVID-19 testing Credit: PA

The latest coronavirus guidelines are that anyone who has a high temperature or a new continuous cough should stay at home for seven days.

Those who live with someone who has symptoms will need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wales is now 170, though Public Health Wales admits the true number is likely to be higher.

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know