Covid: Hywel Dda health board bans visitors over rising cases

A health board has suspended visitors at all of its hospitals due to high numbers of Covid cases.

Hywel Dda University Health Board said visitors would be allowed with prior arrangement in some instances, such as end of life and critical visits.

Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, the counties in the health board area, each have Covid case rates above 600 per 100,000 people.

Visitors had already been banned from Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.

Last month, Hywel Dda also postponed some routine surgeries amid the rise in cases.

Elsewhere in Wales, Cwm Taf Morgannwg banned visitors in September, while Betsi Cadwaladr health board cancelled some surgery and significantly restricted hospital visits at the same time.

The overall case rate in Wales at that time was just below 500 per 100,000, but Public Health Wales' latest data showed it was 699.7 over the most recent seven-day period.

Pembrokeshire had the highest case rate of the three counties, 849.6, which is the seventh highest in Wales.

Ceredigion's case rate was 638.3 and Carmarthenshire's was 623.

The health board said visiting arrangements for maternity services would not be affected.

It added all visitors allowed in the restricted circumstances must carry out a lateral flow test before travelling to hospital.