Carmarthenshire village scraps events and shuts venues after cluster of Covid cases

So far, 18 cases of coronavirus have been identified in the village of Pontyberem. Credit: Google Maps

Residents in a Carmarthenshire village have closed local venues and cancelled events due to a cluster of coronavirus cases in the area.

Around 18 cases have been identified in Pontyberem, between Carmarthen and Llanelli.

Carmarthenshire County Council said the cases are linked to known social gatherings, or where the virus has been passed between people living together.

It is mostly people who are not yet vaccinated or have only received their first dose, the council added.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Several agencies are working together to keep the spread of infection under control, and contact tracing continues.

"We would like to thank the community for their sensible and cautious response. This has included the voluntary closure of some local premises, including sports clubs, and the suspension of planned events, training sessions and matches that may have attracted social gatherings.

"We continue to offer advice and support to local clubs and sports groups and enhanced measures are being implemented at venues to protect and reassure staff and patrons.

"These efforts, together with the collective effort of local people to reduce their social contact, should keep the situation under control."

"We’d like to offer reassurance that this is being closely monitored."

The council said there are no plans for mass community testing at the moment, but urged anyone with coronavirus or flu-like symptoms to self-isolate and book a test as soon as possible.

People can order a test to be sent to their home, pick one up from a local testing centre, or request to be tested in Carmarthen and Llanelli.

The spokesperson added: "We advise Pontyberem residents to take extra care and to reduce social contact until the situation improves.

"However, we remind everyone to take personal responsibility for following Covid-19 rules around social distancing, hand hygiene and wearing face coverings to protect themselves and others.

"We also continue to encourage everyone to attend their vaccination appointments to ensure they have the best protection against severe illness from the virus."