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Coronavirus to get notifiable status in Wales to help firms cover losses

BBC CoronavirusBBC

Coronavirus is to be added to a list of so-called "notifiable diseases" in Wales, after Plaid Cymru accused the Welsh Government of being two steps behind on the virus.

The classification is required by some insurers to cover business losses.

It follows similar moves in the other three UK nations.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said regulations are currently being finalised and "will be introduced as quickly as possible".

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK stands at 85, after it rose by 34 on Wednesday. One case has been diagnosed in Wales so far.

The listing of a disease as notifiable places a legal responsibility on medical professionals to tell health officials of suspected cases immediately.

But it is also required by insurers. The UK government announced on Wednesday it will implement the classification, after business groups expressed concern losses risked not being covered without it.

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Last month the Scottish and Northern Ireland governments formally declared that coronavirus was "notifiable". They were followed by the Republic of Ireland and, earlier this week, Guernsey.

Before the Welsh Government's announcement Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price said the Welsh Government "seems to be operating two steps behind the other nations at the moment".

The Welsh Government said: "Wales will register Covid-19 as a notifiable disease. Regulations are currently being finalised and will be introduced as quickly as possible."

It is understood the regulations will be made a matter of days.

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Ben Cottam, head of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses Wales, welcomed the move, adding: "The key action for small businesses to take now is to check their insurance documents, to ensure that they are suitably covered.

"We would urge all levels of government to work together effectively in the coming days to inform businesses, avoid confusion and we look forward to work with government to play our part in that effort."

In other measures announced on Tuesday, the UK government said it could call NHS "leavers and retirees" back to work to help in the case of an outbreak.

But doctors are worried it will put them "at risk", the British Medical Association Wales union has said.

"I think we have to remember that the reason they are retired is that they're older and what we do know about covid is that actually it's more dangerous to older people," Dr David Bailey, chairman of BMA Wales, told BBC Wales Live.