Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions

The Welsh Government announced that all of Wales would move to alert level 4 at Midnight on 19 December. More details on what you need to do at alert level 4 can be found here.

Under alert level 4 you must:

• stay at home
• meet only the people you live with
• maintain social distancing
• wash your hands regularly
• work from home if you can

If you or anyone in your household has symptoms, the Welsh Government says you must self-isolate. If you have symptoms get a test.

More details on the alert levels for Wales can be found here: https://gov.wales/covid-19-alert-levels

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

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 latest information and guidance on protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable (shielding) can be found here: https://gov.wales/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-people-defined-on-medical-grounds-as-extremely-vulnerable-from-coronavirus-covid-19-html

Frequently asked questions can be found here: https://gov.wales/protecting-people-defined-medical-grounds-extremely-vulnerable-coronavirus-covid-19-previously

Information on the new level 4 restrictions can be found here: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4-frequently-asked-questions

On 16 May, the Welsh Government announced that Covid-19 testing would be made available to every care home in Wales. You can read the Minister’s announcement here.

Care homes that have not reported any cases of coronavirus will be able to use an online portal to order testing kits for all residents and staff.

You can read the Commissioner’s response to the Minister’s announcement here.

On 18 May, the Minister made a further announcement that anyone in Wales with symptoms of coronavirus will be able to request a test using an online booking service. 

The Welsh Government has also published answers to questions relating to Covid-19 testing in Wales. 

Contact tracing is used to identify anyone who may have had close contact with someone who with Covid-19 so they can be contacted and advised of any action they may need to take (e.g. self-isolation).

The Test, Trace, Protect strategy sets out how the Welsh Government intends to find a way for people in Wales to live and work alongside the coronavirus whilst containing its spread.

The strategy, which you can read here, is designed to enhance health surveillance in the community, undertake effective and extensive contact tracing, and support people to self-isolate where required to do so. 

According to the strategy, Test, Trace, Protect will work by:

• Identifying those who have symptoms consistent with Covid-19, enabling them to be tested while isolating from wider family, friends and their community.
• Tracing those individuals who have been in close contact with the symptomatic person, requiring them to take precautions and self-isolate (for 14 days).
• Providing advice and guidance, particularly where the symptomatic individual or their contacts are vulnerable or at greater risk.
• Ensuring that if the individual tests negative and the symptoms are not due to coronavirus, individuals and their contacts can get back to their normal routines as soon as possible.

To enable this, the Welsh Government states it needs:

• Individuals who are symptomatic – even where those symptoms may be mild - to report their symptoms straight away and at the same time self-isolate and advise their friends and family that they may have COVID-19.
• Easy and rapid access to testing, so that everyone who needs a test can get one – this could be through a mass testing centre, community testing unit, mobile testing unit or via home delivery, where they can administer the test themselves.
• Individuals to recognise their role and responsibility to help protect others and provide information in order for their contacts to be advised of the necessary steps that they need to take to protect themselves and their families.
• Contacts to self-isolate when advised, even if that is on several occasions.
• The right support for those who need it as they self-isolate.

From 1 June, the Welsh Government will implement population contact tracing on receipt of a positive test result, you can read the full statement here.

The Welsh Government has updated the advice on wearing face coverings, so as well as face coverings being compulsory for everyone aged 11 and over travelling on public transport in Wales, it will be compulsory to wear them in shops and indoor public spaces from Monday 14 September.  You can read the full guidance here: https://gov.wales/face-coverings-guidance-public (includes information for those who may not be able to wear a face covering).

Information on how to make a face covering can also be found here: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2020-06/how-to-make-a-3-layer-face-covering.pdf  

If you are self-isolating and cannot leave your home for essential food items, and you do not have family or friends that could support you, you should contact your local authority. You can find the contact details for your local authority here. 

If you cannot afford food, your local food bank might be able to help. Find out more here.

If you are shielding (you will have received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales), advice on getting food supplies is available here.

Many of the supermarkets are trying to prioritise delivery to the most vulnerable, and you could try and call the supermarket to find out how to get on their priority list. Several supermarkets are also offering dedicated shopping times for vulnerable people. Find out more here. 

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. 

If you are able to leave your home safely (i.e. you are not self-isolating or shielding) then your bank branch maybe open for a few hours each day, but you should contact them first to check.  If you are unable to leave your home, you should contact your bank in the first instance.  If you are struggling financially, see contact details above for advice services or your local authority.

Phone numbers for banks and building societies are listed below:

Barclays: 0800 400 100

CO-OP: 03457 212 212

Halifax: 0345 720 3040

HBoS: 0345 721 3141

HSBC: 03457 404 404

Leeds Building Society: 03450 50 50 75

Lloyds Bank: 0345 300 0000

Monmouthshire Building Society: 01633 844 340

Monzo: 0800 802 1281

Nationwide: 03457 30 20 11

Natwest: 03457 888 444

NS&I: 08085 007 007

Santander: 0800 9 123 123

The Principality: 0330 333 4000

TSB: 03459 758 758

METRO Bank: 0345 08 08 500

If you are struggling financially, see contact details above for advice services or your local authority.

If you are receiving voluntary help, do not share financial details like credit/debit card numbers or personal information.

If someone you don’t know calls at your home:

• always ask for ID and always ensure you are comfortable sharing details like your phone number or address
• only provide information on a need to know basis and if you have seen ID
• do not feel pressured into providing information
• if you have doubts about those who are approaching you, and are concerned, it is advised that you don’t engage, and report serious suspicious behaviour to the police

Remember that genuine volunteers have been instructed not to enter your home and should all have documentation proving their status.

Further information from National Trading Standards about protecting yourself from scams is available here.

You can also find out more about how to protect yourself if you are getting help from others.  

Attending the funeral of a loved one plays an important role in helping bereaved families move through the grieving process and not being able to attend can have an impact on long-term health and well-being.

The Government has made it clear that it wants bereaved people to still have that opportunity, and that small gatherings for funerals can continue – but only if they take place within strict social distancing guidelines and with limited numbers of people attending.

Read the latest guidance on attending funerals from the Welsh Government

Read advice on funeral arrangements from the Church in Wales here

Information from the National Association of Funeral Directors is available here

Welsh Government advice says no work should be carried out in any household which is isolating or where an individual is being shielded, unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household (such as emergency plumbing or repairs) and where the tradesperson is willing to do so.

In such cases, Public Health Wales can provide advice to tradespeople and households. You can also find information about work being carried out in your home here.

Carers or support workers who support you with your everyday needs can continue to visit you, unless they have symptoms of coronavirus.  If they are showing symptoms and cannot attend, and your care is arranged through an agency, the agency should send a different care worker to support you. Call the agency if this hasn’t happened, or call your local authority immediately.

If you need urgent work carried out in your home Care and Repair may be able to help you, call them on 0300 111 3333 or find out more here.

Volunteering can be a great way of helping others and supporting your local community. If you are thinking about becoming a volunteer, there are lots of things that you can do to help.    

Guidance about volunteering has been produced by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) including volunteering roles you can do from your home.

The guidance says anyone can volunteer but under the current guidance for responding to the coronavirus, people who are most at risk (those who are pregnant, over 70 or have underlying health conditions) should not take on volunteering roles that could raise their risk of infection, or of passing it onto others who might be at risk.

You may therefore want to think about volunteering roles that can be done over the phone or facetime, or by email, which are hugely important, particularly in helping to prevent loneliness and disconnection.

People who should be in self-isolation with possible infection, or those at risk of infection, can also undertake these kinds of roles, as long as they are well enough, but must not break their isolation to volunteer.

You can register as a volunteer with Volunteering Wales here

Due to the excellent response to the call for volunteers, the WCVA has published a helpful blog explaining what is happening regarding volunteering opportunities in Wales.

The PDSA has published some useful information and advice about caring for your pet during self-isolation and social distancing.

Routine visits to vets should not be made at this time, but if your pet is sick, injured or needs urgent treatment, you should contact your vet to determine the best options for treatment / care. You should make specific arrangements before visiting any vet to minimise any risks of possible virus transmission.

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)

If you develop symptoms of Covid-19 (high temperature above 37.8 °C and/or new and continuous cough), seek clinical advice using the online coronavirus service. If you do not have access to the internet, call 111.

In an emergency, call 999 if you are seriously ill. Do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre, or a hospital.

Please discuss any needs you may have with your carers, family, friends, neighbours or local community groups to see how they may be able to support you.  

If you do not have anyone who can help you, please contact your local council. Many initiatives to support older people are now underway throughout Wales. You should contact your council if:  

• You do not have family members who can help; or  
• You do not have a local support network of friends (or others) which can help; or   
• You do not have support from a carer or community organisation which can help. 

If you are struggling financially, you can find out more about the financial support you may be entitled to and the welfare system by contacting an advice service.

General information on Universal Credit from the UK Government is also available here.

If you are employed, in a high-risk group and have been asked to stay at home for 12 weeks, you will receive a letter from the Welsh Government. Please show this letter to your employer. You cannot go to your normal place of work. You do not need to get a fit note from your GP.  

If you need to see your GP, you should call them and they will advise you on the arrangements for appointments, which may include telephone or video appointments.

If you do arrange an appointment to visit your GP, the surgery's front door may be locked, but they will let you in if you have an appointment.

The Welsh Government has updated the guidance on visiting loved ones in hospital.  

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:

Hospital discharge guidance for Wales was updated on 17 December. It sets out the Hospital Discharge Services Requirements for health, social care, third and independent sector partners in Wales, who must adhere to this guidance. 

On 13 March, the Minister for Health and Social Services issued a directive to all Health Boards to postpone all non-urgent elective work for the foreseeable future to enable hospitals to prepare for and deliver against the expected increased workload. 

All patients whose procedures have been postponed will maintain their place on the waiting list and will be contacted once the pandemic is over to arrange a suitable date and time for their appointment / operation. During this period, health boards will try and ensure that urgent and cancer procedures will continue to take place.

If you feel that your condition has deteriorated and is having a greater effect on your day to day routine, you may want to contact your GP.

Health boards should be providing advice on how people can self-manage their conditions and can also put you in touch with other helpful resources, such as peer support networks.

In terms of physiotherapy, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has provided resources on its website to help people stay active and patients are being provided with written, telephone or online advice to enable them to self-manage their condition wherever possible.

In a case of need, a telephone triage will be undertaken to establish if a virtual or face-to-face intervention is clinically required to minimise long-term harm, facilitate discharge or avoid admission.

Carers UK has issued guidance for unpaid carers.

Visiting care homes: The Welsh Government has published updated guidance on allowing safe visits to care homes and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

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.

Those identified as being at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (due to a serious underlying health issue) will have received a letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

The serious underlying health conditions included in the shielding recommendation from the Welsh Government was agreed at a UK-wide level based on expert clinical advice.

If you have a serious underlying health condition and are concerned, then please contact your GP. GPs can use their expertise to advise further patients to shield, to ensure all patients with serious underlying health conditions are captured, and now have the ability to issue the letter from the practice and add patients to the list of high-risk individuals.

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.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) wants to ensure that traders do not take advantage of people by exploiting the current situation.

If you feel that a company may have acted unlawfully by charging excessive prices or making misleading claims about protective equipment, you can share evidence with the CMA and report traders you believe are acting unfairly.

It will consider any evidence that companies may have broken competition or consumer protection law, for example by charging excessive prices or making misleading claims about the efficacy of protective equipment.