COVID-19 figures won't be released for Montgomeryshire

Health chiefs won’t be releasing COVID-19 figures for Montgomeryshire, despite concerns that generic figures for Powys may not reflect an accurate picture closer to home.

Public Health Wales (PHW) release their daily update for Powys at 2pm, but they are met with the same questions from local people enquiring about the situation closer to home. Yesterday it was reported that 23 people in Powys have had the virus so far.

Powys is the largest county in Wales, covering around 2,000 square miles, and it can take two hours to travel from Welshpool to the southern borders. It has raised the question whether local residents should be more concerned about the numbers coming out of Shropshire rather than our own county?

Patient confidentiality should of course be respected but given the sheer size of Powys, readers are understandably keen for Montgomeryshire-specific information. MyNewtown and MyWelshpool has also tried to obtain information on the number of tests carried out and how many people have recovered locally.

Powys Teaching Health Board has deflected our requests for information to PHW, but last night we hit a wall.

Following reader requests, we asked the following three questions:

1. How many cases have been recorded in Montgomeryshire?

2. How many of the 23 cases in Powys have now recovered and been discharged?

3. How many tests have been carried out in Powys?

However, we were simply told: “We are unable to expand upon the information within the daily statement.”

The daily statement issued by PHW does however state: “Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) is now circulating in every part of Wales. The single most important action we can all take in fighting Coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS, and save lives.”

We have tried our best to get answers, but, for now, we’ll continue to share the daily county-wide updates and reiterate the advice from the health professionals to stay home and respect social distancing if leaving the house.