Omicron wave may not be as 'severe as we had initially feared' says Mark Drakeford

First Minister Mark Drakeford said at Welsh Government press conference that "Omicron wave may not be as severe as we had initially feared".

The First Minister of Wales revealed the latest Covid figures show there are more than 2,300 cases per 100,000 people across Wales currently. He also announced that 1.7 million people had received a Covid-19 vaccine booster in Wales.

“We can take some comfort from the fact this form of the virus may not be as severe as we had initially feared", Mr Drakeford said.

“We have already seen extremely high levels of infections in the community since Christmas and we must be prepared for cases to rise even higher in the coming weeks – just as they have elsewhere in the UK.

“But the speed at which it is travelling and its infectiousness continue to be cause for concern."

Mr Drakeford said the previous waves of coronavirus across Wales “are nothing compared to the size and speed of this Omicron wave”.

“Unlike previous waves, which have lasted many months, we believe this one will be short-lived,” he said in the conference.

“Cases are far higher now than they were at the peak of the previous waves.

“This is because of the speed Omicron is moving at. We haven’t reached the peak of this wave yet. This could be another 10 to 14 days away.”

“Cases are highest among 20 to 40-year-olds, but we are also seeing rises in older age groups as community transmission increases rapidly,” he said.

“These are worrying figures but they are in line with the modelling forecasts.

“Omicron is a very infectious form of the virus, which is moving quickly from person to person whenever we are in close contact with one another.

“Every contact is an opportunity for the virus to spread. As cases rise steeply in the community, the number of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 is also rising.”