THE Welsh Government has announced the suspension of all non-urgent surgery and outpatient appointments so that NHS workers can prioritise efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

First minister Mark Drakeford and health minister Vaughan Gething announced the change in policy yesterday afternoon, following news of a further 13 positive tests for the virus in Wales.

Included in that figure are six new cases in the Gwent region – four in the Caerphilly local authority area, one in Newport, and one in Monmouthshire.

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The total number of coronavirus cases in Wales, as of yesterday, is 38.

Under the new guidelines, the health service in Wales is suspending all non-urgent outpatient appointments, all non-urgent surgical admissions and procedures, and to relax targets and monitoring arrangements across the health and social care system, including for GP surgeries and other primary care services.

Access to cancer and other essential treatments such as renal dialysis will be maintained

“By taking these decision now, we are allowing those services the best possible opportunity to prepare for the challenge that we know lies ahead,” Mr Drakeford said.

Mr Gething said the move would “ensure early choices are made... to continue to provide care and support to the most vulnerable in our community”.

The health minister up to 20,000 people could die in Wales as a result of the outbreak.

He said he was choosing to act now before a “significant surge in demand” as the nation moves towards the peak of the epidemic – some 10 to 14 weeks away.

Mr Gething also announced a change in policy regarding public events – from next week, emergency services workers will be asked to prioritise coronavirus preparations and not to staff or prepare for large events.

This would help free up the emergency services for the expected rise in confirmed cases, he explained.

“While there is no compelling public health case to stop large gatherings, we do not believe that preparing for those events in the future should be a priority call on the time of our emergency services staff,” Mr Gething said.

Yesterday, the Football Association of Wales announced it was suspending all football, and the Premier League and FA announced a similar move in the English leagues.

Today’s Six Nations tie between Wales and Scotland, in Cardiff, has also been called off because of the coronavirus outbreak.