Covid transmission lower than feared in Wrexham
The community transmission of coronavirus in a town at the centre of a large Covid-19 outbreak is lower than first feared, according to health officials.
A series of community testing sessions were set up in Wrexham following a significant outbreak, with more than 70 cases at the Maelor Hospital, and 12 patients said to have died with the virus in the space of five days, according to Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Llyr Gruffydd.
Other cases have also been reported in community hospitals, including Chirk, although officials would not be drawn on the amount, over concerns for patient confidentiality.
Now it has emerged that only 11 positive cases were discovered in the community after four days of testing at centres in Hightown and Caia Park.
The centres carried out around 1,400 tests over the four days.
Dr Chris Johnson, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, and chair of the multi-agency Outbreak Control Team, said: “We’re reassured by the numbers, which appears to indicate that transmission is significantly lower than thought.
“It’s also important to note that in many of the cases it was possible to identify a likely chain of transmission.
"As a result, we do not believe there is a large amount of hidden transmission in the community.”
