Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News
Details and reaction to today's briefing on the pandemic by Education Minister Kirsty Williams.
A significantly lower number of Covid patients need intensive care treatment now Image caption: A significantly lower number of Covid patients need intensive care treatment now

The chief executive of the Welsh NHS has revealed more information on the scale of the fall in the proportion of Covid-19 patients needing critical care in this second wave of coronavirus.

Dr Andrew Goodall told the Senedd's health committee that during the first wave earlier this year it had been assumed around 30% of patients admitted to hospital with the virus would require intensive care.

He said it was "probably" about 12% now, with some areas of Wales as low as seven or eight per cent.

Dr Goodall said there were "treatments and interventions that can make a difference" to prevent more patients' health deteriorating.

This was "very helpful", he said, "because, ultimately, the fewer patients who will end up in a critical care environment, we would therefore expect mortality to be much improved and therefore we are saving lives".

But he added critical care was now "busier than it normally is", with the combination of Covid and non-Covid patients.

"I think we need to respect that level of workload that is on the shoulders of our critical care staff and our intensivists across Wales," he said.