Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board Covid outbreak in eastern area hospitals declared ‘closed’

North Wales health board has said a coronavirus outbreak in some eastern area hospitals including Deeside Community Hospital and Wrexham’s Maelor Hospital is now over has been declared ‘closed’.

Today Dr Kate Clark, Secondary Care Medical Director for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “It has now been 28 days since any new positive cases of COVID-19 were identified as part of the outbreak in our East area, including Wrexham Maelor Hospital. As a result, we have declared that the outbreak is now closed.”

“A multidisciplinary delivery group has been established to ensure that learning from the outbreak continues to be shared and embedded across the organisation. A full report into the outbreak, including data on all cases and deaths, is currently being produced by colleagues from across the Health Board.

“We aim for this to be presented at the Board’s Quality Safety and Experience Committee on November 3 for scrutiny and discussion.

“We would like to thank our staff and our partners for their support, professionalism and diligence in helping manage the outbreak. Our thoughts are with the families and patients who have been affected by this outbreak.

“We are currently managing 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases at Glan Clwyd Hospital, as well as a small number at Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Hospitals.

“Please help us continue to reduce the risk of transmission by only visiting our hospitals if it is absolutely necessary. Supporting vulnerable family or friends, or accessing healthcare services, remain the only reasons anyone other than staff should be accessing our sites.

“COVID-19 remains a significant risk, as seen by increasing numbers in communities across the UK, which serve as a timely reminder that the threat has not gone away. We will remain vigilant and continue to maintain stringent infection prevention standards at all times throughout all of our sites to keep patients and staff safe.”

The Health Board added an appeal that people continue to follow the guidance set by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales,  “The use of masks and face coverings indoors in public places is now mandatory in Wales. All staff and visitors must wear a face covering in public areas, unless exempt because:

• You are not able to put on or wear a face mask or covering because of a physical or mental illness, or because of a disability or impairment
• You are accompanying somebody who relies on lip reading to communicate
• You have another appropriate reason not to wear a face covering”

This week Wrexham.com reported on death figures being released that covered the period of time where Wrexham Maelor Hospital saw an increase in coronavirus cases at the outbreak at the hospital, indicating at least 32 people died during that period, during concerns of ‘in hospital transmission’.

On Tuesday Health Minster Vaughan Gething said lessons need to be learnt from the incident, and shared across the country.