Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest information

Public Health Wales:

Public Health Wales is leading the response to the Coronavirus in Wales and and their website has regular updates, advice and links to the latest data.

Welsh Government:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) information
• Current restrictions: frequently asked questions
• Latest announcements

Other useful links:

• NHS Direct Wales online symptom checker

What is Test, Trace and Protect (TTP)?

TTP is the Welsh Government’s strategy for testing the general public and tracing the spread of coronavirus in Wales

How does it work?

• Test - If you have Covid-19 symptoms (new, persistent cough, loss of taste or smell, high temperature), visit www.sbuhb.nhs.wales and follow the Covid-19 link to get a test. Or, call 01639 862757 (9am - 8pm) to book a test, or freephone 119 for a home testing kit. People with hearing or speech difficulties can call 18001 119
• Trace - If you test positive you will get a phone call from our contact tracing team
• Protect - If our contact tracers get in touch follow their advice to keep Wales safe

Under the Test, Trace and Protect strategy, you will be asked for details of the people you have come into contact with 48 hours before the onset of Coronavirus symptoms and up to seven days after, so those people can self-isolate for 14 days. You will not be asked why you had contact with a person or what you were doing with that person. There are strict confidentiality rules in place – details of your contacts will not be shared with anyone else and the contact tracing team will not inform contacts that it is you who has tested positive.

More information on Test, Trace, Protect is available from Welsh Government.

Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways, caused by a virus called coronavirus.

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) are:

• A high temperature - this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you don't need to measure your temperature)
• A new continuous dry cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste: this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
• For most people, coronavirus (Covid-19) will be a mild illness.

You can find out more about coronavirus, social distancing, how to self-isolate, helping others safely and more on the NHS website and the Welsh Government coronavirus information pages.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you MUST self-isolate at home and apply for a test.

If you develop one of these symptoms follow the self-isolation guidance.

Even if your symptoms are mild, you must not leave your home. Anyone with symptoms must self-isolate for 10 days from when their symptoms started. Anyone in your household who does not have symptoms must self-isolate for 10 days from when the first person in your home started having symptoms.

The test is only effective for those who are experiencing coronavirus symptoms and needs to be taken in the first 5 days of having symptoms. It only checks if you have coronavirus right now and not if you have already had the virus.

You can now go for a free Coronavirus test if you have a wider range of symptoms. As well as the three classic signs: fever, a new continuous cough or a loss/change of taste and smell; people are now able to get a test if they have other symptoms too.

These are:

• Flu-like symptoms including any or all of: myalgia (muscle ache or pain); excessive tiredness; persistent headache; runny nose or blocked nose; persistent sneezing; sore throat and/or hoarseness, shortness of breath or wheezing;
• Generally feeling unwell and a history of being in contact with a known COVID-19 case
• Any new or change in symptoms following a previous negative test
• Any symptom which is new, persistent and/or unusual for them

If you have Covid-19 symptoms, visit www.sbuhb.nhs.wales. Or, call 01639 862757 (9am - 8pm) to book a test. 

£500 Self Isolation Grant

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 or have been formally told to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service on or after 23 October 2020, you can apply for the Self-isolation support scheme.

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. To be eligible you must be on a low income; out of work; self-employed; ill or self isolating. You can check if you're eligible for Universal Credit on www.gov.uk/universal-credit.

Statutory Sick Pay - People who are in employment and are unable to work because of coronavirus, and are eligible, can receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from day one of their illness. You can find information about SSP, including eligibility and how to claim on www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay.

Statutory Sick Pay Enhancement Scheme - Social care staff working in Wales will receive enhanced sick pay entitlements to support them financially during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, effective from 1st November 2020.

Only care workers whose employers do not provide full pay for sick leave are eligible for this payment. This includes care workers employed by registered care homes and domiciliary support services, Personal Assistants paid via direct payments agency staff and staff working for agency contractors, providing core daily care services.

We will get in touch with their employers directly.

Working Tax Credit – if you are receiving this benefit your entitlement can continue for the first 28 weeks of sickness whilst you are employed, unless you make a claim for Universal Credit.

People that are ill or self-isolating may be able to apply for Employment Support Allowance (ESA). For more information go to: www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance.

• Users of the NHS Covid-19 App now eligible to apply for £500 self-isolation payment
• FAQs: self isolation support scheme

Financial or debt advice - services offering free impartial money and debt advice

Citizens Advice provides free confidential, independent advice on lots of problems. This includes benefits, debt, money or legal issues. Go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/ or call Advicelink: 03444 77 20 20; Textphone: 1801 0800 144 8884

The Money Advice Service provides free and impartial advice to help you plan and manage your finances. Go to www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk or call 0800 138 7777; Typetalk 18001 0800 915 4622

Dewis Cymru helps you find money and debt advice services where you live. For more information go to www.dewis.wales

The Welfare Rights team at your local council deals with all aspects of helping people claim the benefits they are entitled to. Neath Port Talbot residents can email welfarerights@npt.gov.uk or call 01639 685225.

NPT Safe&Well

NPT Safe & Well is a scheme that can help to connect you with a local volunteer, community group or local service to access support with:

• Food shopping
• Collecting prescription medication
• Running daily errands
• Or arranging for someone to check you are ok

We are here to offer a helping hand to those who don't have any friends or family to call on for support.

NPT Buy Local

Our shops and businesses are at the heart of our our towns, communities and high streets. They make them unique and diverse. They now need our support in order to survive this crisis and thrive. We’ve set up NPTBuyLocal to encourage people to buy local and help improve the local economy.

Many are now offering delivery services so you can still shop local even if you can’t get out and about.

Around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus do not have symptoms, but can still infect others. Getting tested regularly is the only way to know if you have the virus. If people test positive and self-isolate, it helps stop the virus spreading.

Rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) are easy to use and give results in 30 minutes. They are easy to interpret and can be used in a wide range of settings – but please note that LFTs are only for people who do not have coronavirus symptoms. If you have COVID-19 symptoms you need to self-isolate and book a PCR test. 

In Wales, if you cannot work from home, you can get free lateral flow tests for you and your household. You can order these free online (you can order 1 home testing kit - 7 tests - at a time. Delivery takes 1 to 2 days).

Testing kits can also be collected in person from Milland Road Car Park in Neath and Swansea Grand Theatre.

It’s important to test twice a week, but it is also important to report the result (positive, negative or void).

Reporting your results is easy. Go to https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result or call 119. Remember you’ve only completed the test once you’ve reported your result.

In this video, Jamie Roberts explains how to take a self-test.