Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

To stay safe in the run up to Christmas, the Welsh Government is strongly advising everyone to follow these five measures to stay safe:

• Get vaccinated – and if you’ve had your booster appointment, please make attending your priority.
• If you’re going out, going Christmas shopping or visiting people – flow before you go. Take a lateral flow test. If it’s positive – don’t go out. More information here: https://gov.wales/get-rapid-lateral-flow-covid-19-tests-if-you-do-not-have-symptoms?_ga=2.16465204.32177973.1639664291-1203667046.1617984425
• Meeting outdoors is better than indoors. If you’re meeting indoors make sure it’s well ventilated.
• Space out your socialising – if you’ve got events arranged, please leave at least a day between them.
• And don’t forget about social distancing, wearing a face covering and washing your hands.

The regulations will also be changed to include a requirement to work from home wherever possible.

Public Health Wales has produced information on COVID-19 vaccinations. You can read the information, which includes frequently asked questions, here.

Public Health Wales say the 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should give you good protection from coronavirus from 3 or 4 weeks after you've had it. But you need to have the 2 doses of the vaccine to give you longer lasting protection.

There is a chance you might still get or spread coronavirus even if you have the vaccine. This means it is important to:

• continue to follow social distancing guidance
• wear and face mask and
• wash your hands frequently

Further information can be found here: About the vaccine - Public Health Wales (nhs.wales)

The latest information and guidance is available here:

Information from the Welsh Government

Information from the UK Government

Information from Public Health Wales

Useful article about lifting the restrictions in Wales from the Welsh Parliament research service (Senedd Research)

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales is writing to everyone on the Shielding Patient List to provide them with updated advice about the new, fast-moving omicron variant. See details here: https://gov.wales/written-statement-advice-people-who-are-clinically-extremely-vulnerable and the letter Eich cyf (gov.wales)

Try to stay in touch with family, friends, work-colleagues and neighbours over the phone, by post or online. Help each other out. Let them know if you feel unwell or isolated and lonely, or need any help getting food or medicines.

Your local community voluntary council is working with volunteers to find ways to support older people who may need help, such as with shopping and getting medicines, and connecting people to befriending services. You can find contact details for your local community voluntary council here.

You can also contact a befriending services such as Silverline on 0800 470 80 90, or Age Cymru’s befriending service on 08000 223 444. 

The Welsh Government has also launched a new campaign about the ways we can look out for and support each other. Find out more about the Looking Out For Each Other Safely campaign here.

There are various local projects underway, and we will update our information on these as it becomes available.

There is also work underway with Care Homes to help residents get online. Funding is being made available to supply carers, care homes and hospices with digital devices to allow them to access medical video consultation services, including GP appointments, and help people to contact loved ones during the current lockdown.

You can find out more about the support available to get people online from Digital Communities Wales. Tel: 0300 111 5050.

Advice services are available to help you with a range of issues, via the telephone, email or through websites and webchat:

• General Advice: Age Cymru - Call 08000 223 444 or find out more here
• Independent living (including Aids, Adaptations and Home Maintenance): Care and Repair - Call 0300 111 333 or find out more here 
  
• Benefits and employment advice: Citizens Advice - Call 03444 77 20 20
• Universal Credit: Citizens Advice - Call 08000 241 220 (textphone: 18001 08000 241 220)
• Debt Advice: Step Change - Call 0800 054 6734 or find out more here
• Housing: Shelter Cymru – Call 08000 495 495 or find out more here
• Social Housing: Welsh Government - information for tenants and guidance on support for tenants  
• Welfare benefits - Turn2Us – Use the online form to contact an adviser and access access coronavirus information

If you are having problems topping up your meter (gas or electric), call your energy supplier or see advice here. 

Public Health Wales has produced information on COVID-19 vaccinations. You can read the information, which includes frequently asked questions, here.

The Welsh Government has published a wide range of information, including information for the most vulnerable people:

Information on social distancing

Information on shielding extremely vulnerable people

Public Health Wales also has information about how you can protect your health and well-being.

If you are concerned that you, or a loved one, may have Covid-19 symptoms, visit the NHS Direct Symptom Checker here.

Your health board will also have a range of useful information about local health care and services:

• Aneurin Bevan (covering Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys)
• Betsi Cadwaladr (covering Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Conwy, Flintshire and Wrexham)

• Cwm Taf Morgannwg (covering Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil & Rhondda Cynon Taf)
• Cardiff and the Vale (covering Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan; also serves a wider population across South and Mid Wales for a range of specialties)
• Hwyel Dda (covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire)
• Powys (covering Powys)

• Swansea Bay (covering Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea)

Welsh Government says Covid-19 is still spreading in our communities and its spread in healthcare settings must be prevented to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of patients/service users, staff and visitors.

This means that the number of visitors allowed in healthcare settings is currently restricted to ensure that guidance on social distancing measures can be adhered to.

In the visiting guidance, the Welsh Government states:

• to ensure the health and safety of patients/service users and staff our first priority is the prevention and control of infection in healthcare settings
• in order to comply with the 2 metres social/physical distancing measure it is still necessary to restrict the number of visitors
• virtual visiting should be encouraged and supported where possible
• face-to-face visiting needs to be agreed in advance and outdoor visits may be offered if appropriate
• visiting should be with a clear purpose and agreement for visiting based on the best interests of the patient/service user or the well-being of the visitor.

You can read the full guidance here: https://gov.wales/hospital-visiting-during-coronavirus-outbreak-guidance-html

Carers UK has issued guidance for unpaid carers.

Welsh Government have issued guidance for visitors to care homes which you can read here: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-05/action-card-visitors-to-care-homes.pdf

The guidance is for providers who provide care and support to people living / staying in care homes (adults and children), supported living and extra care settings. The guidance is help allow family, friends and professionals to reconnect safely with those living in care homes. You can read the guidance here.

If you develop any life-threatening symptoms, you should call 999 immediately. These could include:

• Severe breathing problems (e.g. can’t talk normally, turning blue and gasping) 
• Chest pain (e.g. like a tight band or heavy weight in or around the chest) 
• Stroke (e.g. unable to raise arm, one sided limb weakness or drooping face) 
• Severe injury/heavy bleeding that cannot be stopped 
• Fitting now/unconscious (e.g. cannot be woken) 

If you have an urgent medical question relating to your existing medical condition, or about a person you are caring for, contact your GP practice, or your specialist hospital care team. Where possible, you will be supported by phone, or online.  If your doctor decides you need to be seen, the NHS will contact you to arrange how to do this.  

If you are concerned that you, or a loved one, may have Covid-19 symptoms, visit the NHS Direct Symptom Checker here.

Decisions about treatment options must be made on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the risks and benefits, and people’s own wishes, through honest discussions between patients, doctors and families.

Whether or not to complete a DNA-CPR form is an individual’s decision, and they have a right to make that decision without feeling pressurised.

You can read the Commissioner’s joint statement on DNA-CPR here.

In response to the Commissioner’s statement, the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for Wales wrote to  issued a letter in response to Health Board Chief Executives and directors to make clear that ‘age, disability or long term condition alone should never be a sole reason for issuing a DNACPR order against an individual’s wishes’. The letter also stated that it ‘is unacceptable for advance care plans, with or without DNACPR form completion to be applied to groups of people of any description. These decisions must continue to be made on an individual basis according to need and individual wishes.’

You can read the letter from the CMO and CNO here.

In November 2019, the Commissioner published an information guide in partnership with Aneurin Bevan University Health board that aims to help individuals maintain control and continue to be a part of decisions made about their care. You can download the Advance Care Planning Guide here.

The Welsh Government has also established a Moral and Ethical Advisory Group, which offers ethical advice and to government in relation to issues caused or affected by COVID-19. The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales is a member of the group, which has published an ethical values and principles for healthcare delivery framework.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or are concerned about someone you know, help is available.

Contact Hourglass Cymru (formerly Action on Elder Abuse Cymru) on 0808 808 8141 or visit the Hourglass website.

For support outside of office hours, contact the free 24-hour Live Fear Free Helpline on 0808 8010 800. You can also contact them by text - 07860 077 333 - by email -info@livefearfreehelpline.wales - or via webchat.

The Safer Wales Dyn project provides support to Heterosexual, Gay, Bisexual and Trans men who are experiencing Domestic abuse from a partner. Call 0808 801 321 or visit the Safer Wales Dyn website here.  

The Bawso helpline offers support to BAME victims and survivors affected by domestic abuse and all forms of violence against women. Call 0800 731 8147 or visit the Bawso website here.

If you need emergency help, or are concerned that someone is in imminent danger, call 999 immediately and contact the police. If you are unable to talk, dial 999 and press 5 5 when prompted and help will be sent to your location.

Your rights under the Equality Act 2010 are not affected by the new Coronavirus Act.

If you think you have been discriminated against, you can contact the Equality, Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for advice and assistance. Call 0808 800 0082 or visit the EASS website.

The UK Parliament's Women & Equalities Committee is seeking evidence on people with protected characteristics being disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and the Government’s response, including the emergency Coronavirus Act. You can submit evidence to their Inquiry here.

The Commissioner is continuing to monitor the impact of the emergency measures to ensure that older people are not discriminated against, and has been clear that older people’s rights must be upheld as we move forward.

Your rights under the Human Rights Act are not affected by the new Coronavirus Act. 

If you think your human rights have been breached, you can contact the Equality, Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for advice and assistance. Call 0808 800 0082 or visit the EASS website.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has announced measures which aim to protect individuals’ right to life (Article 2 ECHR). 

Whilst emergency legislation has some impact on human rights, for example the right to liberty (Article 5 ECHR) and the right to respect for family life (Article 8 ECHR), the impact must still be deemed proportionate. The Commissioner is monitoring this issue to ensure that older people’s human rights are upheld.

The UK Parliament’s Human Rights Committee is examining the Government’s actions to ensure they are compliant with human rights. You can submit evidence to their Inquiry here.  

The Welsh Government has established a Covid-19 Moral and Ethical Advisory Group for Wales (CMEAG-Wales) to advise on issues relating to moral, ethical, cultural and faith considerations. Members also provide advice to health services to inform equitable and just management of issues arising from the health care emergency response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Find out more about this group here.