Covid: Concern at people behaving as if pandemic is over

Some people behaving as if the Covid pandemic is over by ignoring Wales' face mask laws and not social distancing is worrying health chiefs.

Wales' case rate is at a record high 716.9 per 100,000 people - the highest of all the UK nations.

It has led ministers to look at extending Covid passes to more venues.

Wales' chief medical officer accepted people had tired of Covid, but warned being tired was "better than being dead".

Dr Frank Atherton thought extending passes may be of marginal help and urged the public to do their bit.

"A very significant proportion of the Welsh population is still behaving with extreme caution and realises that we are not out of the woods with this yet, but there is a sense in other places that it is all over," he told BBC Wales Breakfast.

"When we see people not using face coverings, even though it's a legal requirement to do so, that worries me.

"When we see people crowding into taxis - as I saw down in Cardiff Bay last night - without face coverings and not being challenged, that worries me.

"When I see leisure centres which are overcrowded and people not social distancing, that really worries me.

"This is how the virus is spreading and, unless we can, as a society, organise ourselves in a way that we follow the guidance that we know will stop transmission of the virus, then unfortunately some of those more draconian measures and the legislative requirements may have to be brought back in. But that's for ministers."

Dr Atherton accepted people were "really tired" of the pandemic, but added: "We're all sick to the back teeth of coronavirus let's be honest, so that's probably a factor, but you know the reality is that, you know, being tired is better than being dead."

Compulsory NHS Covid passes were introduced this month for people to legally attend big events or nightclubs in Wales.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the Welsh government would be "thinking about" extending to other venues, such as cafes, bars and restaurants, because they were "hugely" concerned about the high levels of Covid.

Dr Atherton said the move "may have some marginal benefits" but added the public could help the situation.

Dr Richard Pugh, intensive care consultant at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, and chairman of the Welsh Intensive Care Society, agreed people needed reminding the pandemic has not gone away.

"It certainly hasn't from a hospital perspective, from a critical care perspective, it's not gone away at all," he said.

"It feels relentless at the moment - the stress on our healthcare system and heading into what inevitably is going be a very difficult winter ahead of us.

"This is going to have an impact on all of us, and not necessarily strictly related to Covid, this will have implications for access to healthcare across the system."

Covid passes show people have either tested negative on a lateral flow test, are fully vaccinated against Covid or have had confirmation of a positive test within the last six months which has been followed by the appropriate period of isolation. They are currently compulsory for over-18s to enter:

PHW has started publishing data on the rollout of the vaccine booster programme, with 61% of NHS staff and 58.1% of care home workers having received a third jab.

The health minister said the booster rollout was "going according to schedule but we are seeing if there's anything we can do to increase the pace on that".

The BBC took to the streets of Rhyl to ask people what they thought about whether people were following the rules.

Linda Hodges, from St Helen's, Merseyside, said: "There's hardly anyone wearing masks now. They don't mind crowds and standing together."

Holly McDonald, from Tamworth, said: "It does look as though there's more people wearing masks from what we've seen here, it's quite poor in England at the moment."

Angela McDonald, also from Tamworth, added: "I think if people did the basics, sanitising and wearing masks, keeping a distance, then we'd be in the best position to have a normal-ish Christmas, but at the minute it's on a bit of a slippery slope."

Kathleen Winter, from Crewe, said: "You can go in a shop and they've got no mask on, nothing, touching.

"And I just stand aside and they look at me like I'm weird. I've got my hand sanitiser, the lot, it's not worth it is it?"

Ian Moncrieff, from Liverpool, said: "A few weeks ago I went to a concert in Liverpool and it was really packed and a single sneeze can go everywhere, so I do think the restrictions need tightening.

"For outdoor events maybe not so much, but definitely indoor events.

"I've got vulnerable children, so I do hand washing and I do wear masks when I take them to hospital."