Covid: Wales 'braced' for 'thousands' more Omicron cases

Wales could see "hundreds if not thousands more" cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant over Christmas and new year, the health minister has said.

Eluned Morgan said it couldn't happen at a "worse time" for the NHS after Wales' first case was found on Friday.

Wales' largest hospital urged people not to go to A&E unless they have a life-threatening issue on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a decision to extend Covid passes to pubs and restaurants could made later this week.

The Welsh government is expanding its vaccination programme.

It has previously said that there was no substantial evidence the variant, which has been linked to overseas travel, would lead to a more severe illness.

"Undoubtedly, we're going to see, I would think, hundreds if not thousands more [Omicron cases] in the next few weeks so we've got to brace ourselves and it's been really good to have the time to prepare for that," Ms Morgan told BBC Radio Wales Sunday Supplement.

She said the focus was on "really boosting our vaccination programme, and making sure that we can try and offer now that booster programme to far more people in order to give them the best possible chance to get through the Omicron virus if they contract it".

"This couldn't happen a worse time because the wave is likely to hit us in Christmas, new year," she said.

"And obviously that's a really difficult time for our NHS anyway.

"One of my biggest concerns is how we make sure that the NHS can stay on its feet at what is already a very pressurised time."

Waiting times at the Emergency Unit at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales were in excess of nine hours on Saturday, with bosses saying "only attend if it is life or limb threatening".

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said a decision on whether to extend Covid passes to pubs and restaurants will be made at the "last minute", with the next Covid rules review due on Friday.

He said the emergence of the Omicron variant has led to knowledge and circumstances developing "so fast".

Virologist Dr Richard Stanton from Cardiff University said there was "real potential" that more restrictions could be needed to keep cases under control.

The Omicron variant, which was initially identified in South Africa, was first detected in the UK on 27 November.

Since then, cases of the variant have been confirmed in England and Scotland as well as Wales.

Dr Meng Khaw, from Public Health Wales (PHW), said containing the Omicron coronavirus variant was "going to be very, very challenging".

He said 200 people have been contacted after returning to the country within a 10-day period since a UK travel red list was reinstated.

Travellers from listed countries must isolate in a hotel on entry to the UK.

Asked if he thought there could be more positive cases, Dr Khaw, executive medical director for PHW, said: "Inevitably, there will be more."

The Welsh government said it was acting on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and would "announce further details of how the booster programme will be expanded shortly".

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 visited at drop-in centre at a medical centre in Nefyn, Gwynedd, on Sunday to have their Covid vaccine.

The Covid rate has risen slightly to 471.9 cases per 100,000 people in the past week which bucks a recent downward trend.

There have also been a further five deaths and 2,567 new positive cases recorded up to Friday, according to PHW.

Its data shows there have been 6,433 deaths with Covid and 518,713 positive cases since the pandemic began.

Health Minister Ms Morgan was asked whether concern over the Omicron variant had affected her plans over Christmas.

"I doubt whether I will be going to any Christmas parties," she said.

"We had a family discussion last night about whether we will, indeed, be having a big family Christmas.

"We are going to wait to see what the situation is and, certainly, we'll be asking everybody to take lateral flow tests."