Coronavirus: Plaid Cymru call for Wales v Scotland to be called off

The Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland should be called off, Plaid Cymru has said.

Leader Adam Price called for all mass gathering events should be postponed or cancelled.

The safety of citizens "must be put before everything else", Mr Price said.

But Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething cited advice that cancelling events would not make a difference in saving lives.

However he said a recommendation the Scottish Government has made, that large events should not go ahead from next week, is also being considered in Wales.

Wales' chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton said that, from Friday, people with symptoms of a new cough or fever would be asked to self-isolate for seven days as part of an escalated response to the coronavirus.

Plaid earlier cancelled its own spring party conference, due to be held on 20-21 March in Llangollen.

Welsh Labour and the Liberal Democrats also announced they have cancelled their conferences.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has recommended that mass events involving more than 500 people should not go ahead from next week.

Mark Reckless, Brexit Party group leader in the assembly, called for all schools in Wales to be closed from Monday.

"I recognise the disruption this will cause, but I believe social distancing should begin sooner rather than later, and that doing so now may make a significant difference to the rate of infection and save lives," he said.

Adam Price said: "The safety of our citizens - including the most vulnerable and at risk of coronavirus, must be put before everything else."

He called for the Welsh Government to take "urgent and aggressive action" rather "than waiting for instruction from London".

They should consider instructing public sector workers to work from home, whether schools should break up early for Easter, the party leader said.

"All mass gatherings and events should be postponed or cancelled with immediate effect - that would mean no indoor gatherings larger than 100 and no outdoor gathering larger than 500."

Earlier Plaid Cymru said cancelling its conference "is the most responsible course of action for the party to take in the current circumstances."

Conservative assembly member Andrew RT Davies said postponing the Wales-Scotland match was "surely the sensible move".

In a robust response, Mr Gething told a press conference that politicians, including those in the opposition, should take a "responsible approach" and should not try to suggest "there is public health advice to take a step when actually it does not exist".

"The challenge about larger events is that the science doesn't tell us it really makes a difference either in significantly delaying the peak of the outbreak or indeed in terms of saving life."

However, he said that the Scottish Government view on larger events may be taken by Welsh Government. "That is something we are actively considering. And we may make the same decision next week as well."

He said the Scottish Government was thinking about the impact on emergency services.

The Labour event was to be held from 27 to 29 March.

Welsh Labour leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "At a time when the whole Welsh Labour Government is focused on responding to the major challenge of coronavirus, I have decided it would not be right for members of the Welsh Government to be taken away from those duties.

"I look forward to the conference being rescheduled.

"The Welsh Government is not at present suggesting cancellation of other events in Wales but do advise everyone to think carefully if they represent the best use of time and resources in the current context."